Francisco Zuñiga

Francisco Zúñiga was a Costa Rican-born Mexican painter and sculptor, celebrated for his expressive depictions of the human figure. Born in Guadalupe, San José, Costa Rica, in 1912 to a family of sculptors, Zúñiga trained in his father’s workshop before pursuing formal studies at the Escuela de Bellas Artes. Early exposure to German Expressionism, and the work of Aristide Maillol and Auguste Rodin, shaped his belief that technique should serve expression rather than dominate it.

Zúñiga immigrated permanently to Mexico in 1936, where he studied with Guillermo Ruiz and Oliverio Martínez. He worked as Martínez’s assistant on the Monument to the Revolution before joining the faculty at La Esmeralda, where he taught from 1938 until 1970. Over time, he developed a distinct style that combined pre-Hispanic influences with modern sensibilities, emphasizing maternity, family, and the dignity of ordinary life.

By the 1940s, his work had entered international collections, including the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. He became a founding member of the Salón de la Plástica Mexicana and the Sociedad Mexicana de Escultores. His career was marked by major retrospectives, such as at the Museo de Arte Moderno (1969), and international recognition, including the Acquisition Prize at the Middelheim Biennial (1971), the Kataro Takamura Prize (1984), and Mexico’s prestigious Premio Nacional de Arte (1992).

Zúñiga produced over thirty-five public sculptures and his works are held in leading museums worldwide. He became a Mexican citizen in 1986 and remained active until his death in 1998.