Julio Galán

Julio Galán (December 5, 1958 – August 4, 2006) was a Mexican artist and architect. Galán was one of Latin America's neo-expressionist painters of the end of the last century and the beginning of this one. His paintings and collages are full of elements that usually represent his life. Biography Galán was born into a wealthy and conservative Roman Catholic family in Muzquiz, a northern Mexican mining town. As a child he attended private school in Monterrey, Mexico and later enrolled to study architecture at the University of Monterrey. Galán started his career in this town.

While in Mexico, Galán painted dresses for fashion designer Nicole Miller, who introduced him to Paige Powell. Powell worked for Andy Warhol at Interview magazine in New York. Warhol printed several of Galán's works in Interview, and shortly after Galán moved to New York City in 1984.

Powell organized two shows for the artist in New York City. His first New York show was scheduled to open at an Upper West Side apartment in June 1985 where Powell had previously organized a show, but it was canceled when the board of directors of the co-op building banned the exhibition. Mexican ambassador Joaquín Bernal allowed Powell to use the Consul General gallery in Midtown South for Galán's show.

Following that show, Galán participated in the exhibition Mexico, The New Generation at the San Antonio Museum of Art in San Antonio, Texas. In the fall of 1986, Powell organized another solo show for the Galán at art critic Edit DeAk's apartment in SoHo.

In 1994 he won the "Premio Marco" from the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Monterrey. That same year he exhibited at the Center for Fine Arts in Miami, Florida, the Museo de Arte Moderno in México City, and the Contemporary Art Museum of Houston, Texas.

Galán died on a plane that was taking him back to Monterrey after suffering a brain hemorrhage on August 4, 2006.

Selected solo exhibitions Galán had solo exhibitions at the following art institutions:

1980: Galeria Arte Actual Mexicano, Monterrey, Mexico 1982: Galeria Arte Actual Mexicano, Monterrey, Mexico 1982: Galeria Arvil, Mexico 1983: Galeria Arte Actual Mexicano, Monterrey, Mexico 1984: Galeria Uno, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico 1984: Galeria Clave, Guadalajara, Mexico 1985: Consulate General of Mexico, New York 2007: Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Monterrey (MARCO), Monterrey, México. 2008: Museo Amparo, Puebla, México 2008: Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso, Ciudad de México, México. 2023: Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Monterrey (MARCO), Monterrey, México.