La Letra Inicial

Poster made for an exhibition in La Casa del Libro featuring the art of the initial letter in books from the collection. Rafael Tufiño (1922-2008), born in New York to Puerto Rican parents, distinguished himself as a printmaker, painter, draughtsman, muralist and illustrator. He pursued studies in painting and the graphic arts in Mexico in the Academy of San Carlos, where he became acquainted with the populist ideas of Taller de Gráfica Popular, or People’s Print Workshop, and the Mexican muralists Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco. In 1949, returning to Puerto Rico, he works in the Community Education Division (DIVEDCO, for its Spanish acronym), and together with Lorenzo Homar, José Torres Martino, Carlos Marichal and other artists, creates the Center for Puertorrican Art. In 1954 he receives the Guggenheim Fellowship and produces the first solo artist portfolio made in Puerto Rico. Known locally as the “Painter of the People”, for his paintings and prints manifest different aspects of Puertorrican life and culture.