Art and food: two Mexican pleasures within our collection. Enjoy your eye meal!
Mexican gastronomy is a legend of the most demanding palates, spicy, acid, sweet and umami combine through your senses.
By Fundación Universidad de las Américas Puebla
Colección de Arte UDLAP
Bodegón mexicano. Joel Rendón. Engraving.
Still life is one of the oldest genres of art that shows the ingredients and utensils of each era. In this piece, the still life is Mexican like molcajete (a volcanic stone tripod to mash the food) along with ingredients from Mexico can be recognized besides the descending snake
Guajolotes para el mole. Joel Rendón. Engraving.
In this piece, the turkey is portrayed, which is one of the most representative birds of Mexican dishes, since pre-Columbian times has been preserved as the main meat that is served with a rich mole in social celebrations.
Canasta mexicana. Joel Rendón. Engraving.
One of the characteristics of Mexican culture is to give words or nouns a double meaning; the artist uses the "basket" not only as an object but as the "basic food basket" that includes the diet of a Mexican to prepare his traditional dishes.
Metatear la identidad. Joel Rendón. Engraving.
The metate is a basic utensil of Mesoamerican cuisine; In Nahuatl it is known as metlatl, which means stone to grind. In this piece it is a metaphor about Mexican identity that immediately alludes to the sicretism that exists in the origins of the Mexican people.
Carnicería "La Carolina" (1994) by Antonio Álvarez MoránFundación Universidad de las Américas Puebla
Carnicería La Carolina. Antonio Álvarez Morán. Oil on canvas
This work is part of Neo-Mexicanism, fusing the local imagination with the personal. Butchers in Mexico are a meeting point not only to buy food but to socialize with the local grocer, establishing a relationship almost of friendship and closeness.
Membrillos. Maria Sada. Lithography.
In this piece, not only the fruit but the flower of the quince is shown, a fruit highly appreciated for its delicious flavor that grows in central and southern Mexico; It is also the main ingredient of the traditional "quince paste", a typical dessert of our country.
Una mexicana que frutas vendía (1995) by Ismael VargasFundación Universidad de las Américas Puebla
Una mexicana que frutas vendía. Ismael Vargas. Engraving.
This work could be any fruit stand in a Mexican market, the title of the work is inspired by a traditional children's round entitled "La víbora de la mar"; a game handed down from generation to generation that one can also "dance" at Mexican weddings.
Tres generaciones (1998) by Antonio ÁlvarezFundación Universidad de las Américas Puebla
Tres generaciones. Antonio Álvarez Morán. Talavera.
This piece belongs to a gastronomic, generational and technical tradition. The artist reveals the three generations of mexican products like grape soda, chocolate bars for hot cocoa and canned picked chili made of glazed clay, a typical handicraft of Puebla.
Anafres. Sergio Hernández. Engraving.
An anafre is a stove made of clay or metal, used to contain the embers of the coal to heat food. In most of his works Sergio Hernández takes up traditional elements with imaginary characters drawn from traditional Oaxacan legends like donkeys, houses and people.
Ventana con refresco en Tizapán (2000) by Elena ClimentFundación Universidad de las Américas Puebla
Ventana con refresco en Tizapán. Elena Climent. Watercolor.
A contemporary Mexican still life; it is a vignette that looks like the reality of any house in a Mexican neighborhood. The soft drink illustrated is a red "Jarritos", which in addition to being a classic Mexican soft drink, with a strawberry flavor.
Serie "Niños mexicanos": Sandías (1985) by Gustavo Montoya.Fundación Universidad de las Américas Puebla
Serie "Niños mexicanos: Sandías". Gustavo Montoya. Engraving
Gustavo Montoya is distinguished by reflecting Mexican traditions and folklore, with elements that distinguish our country, and in this case, a girl who holds one of the most characteristic fruits of Mexico: the watermelon.
Untitled (1998) by Maris Bustamante.Fundación Universidad de las Américas Puebla
Albur. Maris Bustamante. Talavera.
In Mexico, "albur" is a play on words where participants refer to situations in a sexual or eschatological sense. In this piece, the artist is making fun of the double meaning that implicates the chili and the penis in mexican culture.
Jícamas calientes. Anonymous. Mixed on canvas.
This piece illustrates one of the most representative and consumed edible tubers in Mexico: the jicama. The origin of the word jícama comes from the Nahuatl xīcama or xīcamatl, which means watery root.
Sobre la mesa Huauzontles (1993) by Carlos Arias.Fundación Universidad de las Américas Puebla
Sobre la mesa huauzontles. Carlos Arias. Oil on canvas.
Huauzontle is a pre columbian endemic plant from Mexico, called huauhzontli in Nahuatl. It serves with cheese and weathered with egg in hot tomato sauce. In this piece, the artist evoke a nostalgic time in the head of the characters, like they are waiting to something happen.
Fertilidad (1959) by Salvador AlmarazFundación Universidad de las Américas Puebla
Fertilidad. Salvador Almaraz. Oil on canvas.
Mayahuel, the mexican goddess of the earth and fertility that provides everything we need to live is represented by the maguey; this plant is where tequila, mezcal and pulque are substracted to live happy and joyful.
Equipo curatorial: Marie France Desdier, Idalia Castillo y Emma Zamudio.
Textos: Marie France Desdier e Idalia Castillo.
Fotografías: Archivo UDLAP.
Todos los derechos reservados, Universidad de las Américas Puebla, UDLAP. México 2021
