Sarah Jiménez

Sarah Jimenez Vernis (February 3, 1927 – March 13, 2017) was a Mexican artist known for her political graphic work in the mid 20th century, especially with the Taller de Gráfica Popular, earning her membership in the Salón de la Plástica Mexicana. After her time with the Taller, her career shifted to teaching, and her work became mostly forgotten. However, there have been efforts to revive interest in it.

Background Jiménez Vernís was born on February 3, 1927, in Piedras Negras, Coahuila in the north of Mexico. She spent her first years growing up there, near the United States border until her family moved to Córdoba, Veracruz, where she received her primary and middle school education at the Escuela de Artes y Oficios.

Her father, José Guadalupe Jiménez, was a doctor with Mexico's railroad system and participated in the Mexican Revolution. He met her mother, Sarah Vernís, on a train during the war. He served as a medic for the Carranza army. The couple had seven children, Alfonso, Alberto, Guadalupe, Concepción, Mario and Ofelia, along with Sarah.

She lived in a small home near the Monumento a la Raza in Mexico City.

Career Although she studied sculpture during her time at La Esmeralda, her artistic career was mostly focused on engraving with some drawing and painting.

In 1954 she participated in the creation of a mural at the Escuela Belisario Dominguez, with her section dealing with the dead soldier of the Mexican Revolution. During this time her father died but she completed her work before heading to Córdoba to pay her respects.

She received grants for her work from the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes for four years. The Museo Nacional de la Estampa in Mexico City holds a series of works she did in the 1960s in Havana on the Cuban Revolution. In 2014, the Salón de la Plástica Mexicana held a retrospective of her work of over fifty works, which was then sent to tour in her native state of Coahuila.

Artistry Jiménez Vernís has mostly specialized in graphic works, as part of her political activity. In her youth, her work was very confrontational.

She never belonged to a political party but her graphic work reflects the ideals of the left. Her work focuses on social, political and economic issues especially those related to farmers and workers. She traveled Mexico extensively to capture images related to the daily life of the country.

Jiménez Vernís believed that the work of organizations like the Taller de Gráfica Popular is necessary, but says most artists are no longer interested in social and political work.