Mexican artist Toledo mourns disappeared, murdered in new show

Bloodshot faces, baked into ceramic pots, grimace in pain. Gnarled fingers poke from ashen clay. A skull and hands, the only remains of a body, grip the top of a wall, trying to escape.

They are among more than 100 pieces created by Francisco Toledo, perhaps Mexico’s most famous living artist, for his “Mourning” exhibit, a memorial to the country’s recent mass killings and disappearances, including 43 students from the Ayotzinapa teacher training college in Guerrero state who went missing in September 2014.

“Never before has there been such violence in Mexico as in recent years, really,” he said in a weekend interview. “I wanted to leave a testimony of this violence.”

The government said the 43 youths were incinerated by a drug gang in league with corrupt police who rounded them up in the city of Iguala in Guerrero after mistaking them for rivals.

The case and subsequent investigation sparked international condemnation of Mexico. To date, the remains of only one of the missing students have been definitively identified.

Toledo said “Mourning,” on display at Mexico City’s Museum of Modern Art through March, was inspired by ancient black pottery from his native southern state of Oaxaca, which borders Guerrero.

The haunting pieces include crouched figures with scarlet-grooved eye sockets, exposed rib cages and perforated knees and elbows.

Crimson-dotted ceramic ropes fasten bones to a black drum topped by a dog’s head, a reference to pre-Columbian cultures in which canines guided the dead through the underworld.

Toledo also recalled the case of Tlatlaya, where prosecutors say soldiers executed at least a dozen suspected gang members who had surrendered to the army in June 2014.

Tlatlaya is near Guerrero, where Toledo said the pre-Hispanic Yopes civilization sacrificed slaves.

“In a way, this type of sacrifice is being repeated,” he said.

Besides “Mourning,” Toledo has turned to other art forms to stir awareness of the Ayotzinapa students.

The 75-year-old Toledo created 43 kites, each stamped with the face of one of the missing, and sprinted across a soccer field to get them aloft.

Toledo, who has sold his paintings for as much as $902,500, sponsored an Ayotzinapa-themed poster contest, with entries coming from as far as Poland, Germany and Israel, his daughter Sara said.

The 50 winning posters have been exhibited in Barcelona, the Netherlands and Britain in a fundraising drive for the students’ parents.

(Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

Bloodshot faces, baked into ceramic pots, grimace in pain. Gnarled fingers poke from ashen clay. A skull and hands, the only remains of a body . . .

Follow Us On Google News | Get Our Newsletter



Trending News on PVDN

  • Where do foreigners come from and where do they live in MexicoMexico City Protest on July 5 Challenges Gentrification and Airbnb’s Impact on Housing Residents of Roma and Condesa will gather at Parque México on July 5 to protest gentrification, rising rents, and Airbnb’s effect on local housing. This Saturday, July 5, Mexico City will witness its first organized citizen protest against gentrification—a peaceful but urgent gathering taking place at 3:30 p.m. at the Lindbergh Forum in Parque México,…
  • raw-sewage-playa-los-muertos-puerto-vallartaMore Raw Sewage Dumping at Playa Los Muertos Appear to Come From Local Hotel Business owners in Puerto Vallarta are demanding action after raw sewage was discovered leaking onto Playa Los Muertos, raising public health and tourism concerns. A raw sewage leak at Playa Los Muertos in Puerto Vallarta has sparked outrage among local tourist service providers and business owners, who say the contamination is driving away visitors and…
  • puerto-vallarta-rainfall-hurricane-flossie-july-2025Puerto Vallarta braces for torrential rains as Hurricane Flossie gains strength Puerto Vallarta faces a high risk of flooding as Hurricane Flossie intensifies in the Pacific. Torrential rains and overwhelmed drainage systems pose major challenges for the city. Puerto Vallarta, a city wedged between the Sierra Madre mountains and the Pacific Ocean, is no stranger to dramatic weather shifts—but this summer, the skies are testing the…
  • protests3Mexico City Protests: There is a fine line between anti-gentrification and xenophobia The line between anti-gentrification and racism is clear if you choose to see it: genuine activism targets policy and practice, not nationality or ethnicity. I have lived in Mexico for two decades, and I have never witnessed the level of anti-American sentiment that exists today. All of it is tied to the buzzword "gentrification," a…
  • puerto vallarta lettersPuerto Vallarta needs a new image to create meaningful reasons for travelers to visit Business leaders at Jalisco Tourism Secretariat forums stressed the need for renewing Puerto Vallarta image and diversifying attractions to appeal to national and international markets. Local business leaders and tourism specialists agreed this week that Puerto Vallarta needs a fresh look and a broader range of attractions to compete at home and abroad. In a…
  • José Luis Velázquez RodríguezSEAPAL Official Reported Missing in Puerto Vallarta Authorities in Puerto Vallarta have launched a search for José Luis Velázquez Rodríguez, SEAPAL's head of transparency, who has been missing since June 30. Family and officials are urging the public to report any information. Local authorities and civil protection units have launched a search operation for José Luis Velázquez Rodríguez, head of the Transparency…
  • puerto-vallarta-police-chase-bahia-de-banderasPuerto Vallarta police chase ends in deadly collision in Bahía de Banderas A Puerto Vallarta police chase along Highway 200 ended in a deadly collision in Bahía de Banderas, leaving two people dead. A high-speed chase that began in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, and ended in Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit, left at least two people dead and raised new questions about police engagement and road safety in the…
  • mexico city real estateGentrification in Mexico City is not the reason for the high cost of housing City housing shortage, not gentrification, drives prices skyward as planning lags behind demand and foreigner influence remains minimal. High real estate costs in Mexico City stem from a deep and persistent housing shortage—exacerbated by land constraints, tangled regulations and speculative investment—rather than by the presence of foreign residents. Despite headlines blaming “gentrification,” foreign-born residents make…
  • protestProtest graffiti and smashed windows mars anti-gentrification rally in Mexico City Residents and activists joined an anti-gentrification rally in Mexico Park, but the anti-gentrification rally Mexico Park turned destructive as masked youths defaced local shops and broke windows. A rally against gentrification held yesterday in Mexico City’s Parque México drew residents from Juárez, Roma, Condesa and Hipódromo alongside local activists. Organizers billed it as the city’s…
  • no-damage-jalisco-hurricane-flossieNo Damage Reported in Jalisco as Hurricane Flossie Moves Away While Mexico's Weather Service predicted heavy rains, Hurricane Flossie causes no damage along Jalisco’s coast. The Category 3 storm brings light rain and moderate waves as it moves away from the region. The coasts of Jalisco remain calm and largely unaffected following the passage of Hurricane Flossie, a powerful Category 3 storm that is now…
Scroll to Top