Roberto Donis

Roberto Donis (b. February 26, 1934 – d. 2008) was a Mexican painter and art teacher. He began studying art at the Escuela Nacional de Pintura, Escultura y Grabado "La Esmeralda", but unsatisfied with the instruction, helped organize a student strike. It was unsuccessful and rather than return to school, he decided to go to Morelia to teach. Donis’ art career consisted of exhibitions both in Mexico and abroad, including an important exhibition at the Museo de Arte Moderno in Mexico City and accepted as a regular with the prestigious Galería de Arte Mexicano. His teaching career included directorship at the Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez as well as helping to found the Taller de Artes Plásticas Rufino Tamayo in the city of Oaxaca. He received several recognitions for his work, including membership in the Salón de la Plástica Mexicana.

Life Roberto Donis was born in the small town of Venado in the state of San Luis Potosí. In 1950, he entered the Escuela Nacional de Pintura, Escultura y Grabado "La Esmeralda" at age sixteen, studying principally under Carlos Orozco Romero but at this time he work was also influenced by figurative Mexican painters Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco and Manuel Rodríguez. In 1953, not satisfied with the education he was receiving, he organized a student revolt along with Rafael Coronel and Gilberto Aceves Navarro. Fifteen students resigned together for set up their own exhibition in the basement of the Excelsior newspaper building. However, the event was short-lived and achieved little as their demands were ignored and the group went back to school, all except Donis who then went to Michoacán to teach. He also developed lifelong friendships with Mexican artists Rufino Tamayo, Francisco Toledo and Jorge Dubon. Before his death in 2008, his hometown of Venado paid homage to him. At the same event, Donis donated artworks by him and Rufino Tamayo, along with Australian aboriginal art which he collected. After his death, he was paid homage at the Museo de los Pintores Oaxaqueños in 2009.

Artistry From 1950 to 1954, his work was primarily figurative, which eventually evolved into a kind of expressionism during the rest of that decade. After his first trip to Paris, he began to experiment with abstract expression, which was solidified after his time in New York (1966-1969) .