Gloria Calero Sierra (1906–1990) was a Mexican artist and the wife of artist

Federico Cantú Garza Federico Heraclio Cantú Garza (March 3, 1907 – January 29, 1989) was a Mexican painter, engraver and sculptor. While considered to be a member of the Mexican muralism movement, his style was noticeably different, mostly for adhering to older ...

. Her work was influenced by surrealism and Mexican muralism.

Art

Calero began her art career when she was thirty years old. Her major influences were the artists of the surrealism movement and Mexican muralism. She stated that one of her biggest influences was the work of

Jesús Guerrero Galván Jesús Guerrero Galván (b. June 1, 1910 – d. May 11. 1973) was a Mexican artist, a member of the Mexican muralism movement of the early 20th century. He began his career in Guadalajara but moved to Mexico City to work on mural projects in the ...

. She was a founding member of the

Salón de la Plástica Mexicana Salón de la Plástica Mexicana (Hall of Mexican Fine Art; ''SPM'') is an institution dedicated to the promotion of Mexican contemporary art. It was established in 1949 to expand the Mexican art market. Its first location was in historic center o ...

, which was one of the first exhibitors of her work. Her work can be found in collections such as those of MacKinley Helm, Ali Chumacero, Licio Lagos, Bernard Lewin, and the Cantú family.

Biography

Calero was born in 1906 during the Porfirio Díaz regime, into a liberal and well-connected family. She was the granddaughter of

Justo Sierra Justo Sierra Méndez (January 26, 1848 – September 13, 1912), was a Mexican prominent liberal writer, historian, journalist, poet and political figure during the Porfiriato, in the second half of the nineteenth century and early twentieth ...

and cousin of Javier Barros Sierra . Her parents were Manuel Calero and Luz Sierra de Calero, who supported her artistic inclinations. Her family's wealth and social status made it relatively easy to develop her talent early. She was educated in the

fine art In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwor ...

s and culture, and learned to speak English fluently. During her childhood, she lost her hearing due to an illness. She married a distant cousin,

Chano Urueta Santiago Eduardo Urueta Sierra (24 February 1904 – 23 March 1979), more commonly known as Chano Urueta, was a Mexican film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Filmography Director *1928: '' El Destino'' *1933: '' Profanación'' *1934 ...

, who was a film actor and director. With

Cordelia Urueta Cordelia Urueta Sierra (b. September 16, 1908 (Coyoacán) – d. November 3, 1995 (Mexico City)) was a Mexican artist best known for her use of color and abstraction but still retaining frequent reference to the human form. She was born into an in ...

, she frequented cafes and other places popular with artists and writers, such as

Renato Leduc Renato Leduc (November 16, 1897 – August 2, 1986) was a Mexican poet and journalist. Biography Leduc, son of a French father and a Mexican mother, served as a signalist in Pancho Villa's ''División del Norte'',Xavier Villaurrutia Xavier Villaurrutia y González (27 March 1903 – 25 December 1950) was a Mexican poet, playwright and literary critic whose most famous works are the short theatrical dramas called ''Autos profanos'', compiled in the work ''Poesía y teatro c ...

, and Luís Cardoza y Aragón. After her friend Inés Amor opened a gallery in 1936, Calero met many artists of the Mexican muralism movement, and others such as the poets Antonin Artaud and

José Moreno Villa José Moreno Villa (16 February 1887, Málaga – 25 April 1955, México) was a Spanish poet and member of the Generation of '27. He was a man of many talents: narrator, essayist, literary critic, artist, painter, columnist, researcher, ar ...

. In the early 1930s, Calero and Urueta decided to move to the Colonia del Valle neighborhood, to a small house on San Francisco Street. Her landlady and neighbor, Luisa Garza, introduced her to painters and to other friends of her son, Federico Cantú Garza. Cantú and Calero began an affair that ended her marriage after various confrontations. The two married on June 12, 1937, a second marriage for both. From 1938 to 1941, Calero and Cantú lived in New York City and later moved to

San Miguel de Allende San Miguel de Allende () is the principal city in the municipality of San Miguel de Allende, located in the far eastern part of Guanajuato, Mexico. A part of the Bajío region, the city lies from Mexico City, 86 km (53 mi) from Queré ...

, dividing their time between Mexico and the United States. They were considered inseparable, and her image appeared in Cantú's work, such as the Los Altares sculpture at the

Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes The Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (''Secretaría de Infraestructura, Comunicaciones y Transportes'', SICT) of Mexico is the national federal entity that regulates commercial road traffic and broadcasting. Its he ...

. After Cantú's death in 1989, Calero fell into depression and months later had a blood clot which required amputation of a limb. She died in 1990.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Calero Sierra, Gloria 1906 births 1990 deaths 20th-century Mexican painters 20th-century Mexican women artists Mexican women painters

Art

Biography

See also

References