Teodoro Cano García

Teodoro Cano García (born 1932) is an artist from Papantla, Veracruz, Mexico who is best known for his mural work depicting the Totonac culture of his native region in northern Veracruz. Cano was discovered by Diego Rivera, who helped Cano as a youth enter the prestigious San Carlos Academy and then employed him as an assistant with the mural work being done at the Ciudad Universitaria in Mexico City.

Cano painted his first solo mural in 1953, and since then has produced paintings, murals, sculptures, photography, book illustrations and more, including creating a high relief technique with a cement base. However, Cano is best known for his mural work which depicts and promotes the Totonac culture; and much of his work can be seen in his hometown, including a monumental sculpture of a Volador dancer overlooking the city. Cano also worked as an academic for over 36 years, recently retiring, but he continues to work as an artist based in Xalapa.

Preparation Cano was born in the small city of Papantla, Veracruz in 1932, and began drawing at a young age. When Diego Rivera was in Papantla in 1945, Cano had a chance to meet the famous painter and show him some of his work. Impressed, Rivera had the 14-year-old Cano come to Mexico City and work at his home as a personal assistant. However, this arrangement lasted only four months until Rivera decided that the young man needed formal training. He contacted then-governor of Veracruz Adolfo Ruiz Cortines to get a scholarship for Cano at the prestigious San Carlos Academy. Cano attended the institution from 1947 to 1951 and graduated with honors.

After graduation, he went back to work with Diego Rivera and José Chávez Morado, who were creating murals at the recently constructed Ciudad Universitaria (University City). Cano worked assisting both between 1949 and 1950,

Career In 1953, he painted his first solo mural at radio station XEPR, called Historia del Petróleo (History of Petroleum). Soon after, he painted Papantla y sus Educadores (Papantla and Its Educators) at a primary school in his hometown. During the rest of the 1950s, he painted murals in various parts of Veracruz including Historia de Tuxpan y Homenaje al Maestro (History of Tuxpan and Tribute to the Teacher) in Tuxpan; Servicio Social (Social Service) in Poza Rica; Pérgola (Pergola) in Coatzintla ; Papantla in the same city and Royal in Poza Rica. In the 1960s, he mostly did canvas work, with expositions in the north of Veracruz. He painted one mural called Historia de Mexico (Mexican History) in Poza Rica.

His most prolific period was the 1970s, painting and sculpting numerous works in Veracruz, and, as a teacher, supervising many more works done by students as part of a muralist movement in rural areas of Veracruz, Campeche, Yucatán, Tamaulipas, Coahuila, Sinaloa and Colima . most of it is found in Veracruz state with over 60 murals alone there, and in Mexico City.

In an interview in 2007, Cano stated that he considers his work to be instructive, meant for those with little knowledge of the arts, focusing on happy elements such as dance. This, he said, is in contrast with much of modern art, which can turn off many who see it for the first time.