Lot 243, Auction 4/3/2026: “Tarahumaras: 11 Drawings by Aaron Pina Mora” (1966)

$292.50

In stock

Aaron Pina Mora (Mexican, 1914-2009). “Tarahumaras: 11 Dibujos Por Aaron Pina Mora reproducidos en su tamano original con un esayo de Victor M. Reyes” (“Tarahumaras: 11 Drawings by Aaron Pina Mora all reproduced in the original size with an essay of Victor M. Reyes”), Mexico City: Central de Publicaciones, 1966. A striking folio dedicated to the Raramuri people of Chihuahua, this publication presents eleven drawings by Aaron Pina Mora, each reproduced at its original size to preserve the immediacy and scale of the artist’s hand. The compositions focus on the Tarahumara, known for their extraordinary tradition of long distance running as a form of prayer and spiritual endurance, and depict men and women seated in contemplation, gathered in community, or absorbed in music and daily life beneath stark crosses and rugged landscapes of the Sierra Madre. Size: 12.6″ W x 17.3″ H (32 cm x 43.9 cm)

Rendered in rich tonal gradations, the drawings reveal Pina Mora’s sensitivity to form and volume, modeling faces and garments with sculptural weight while retaining an intimate, human presence. The folio format allows each image to stand alone, encouraging close study of gesture, expression, and the quiet dignity of the figures portrayed.

Accompanied by an essay by Victor M. Reyes, the edition of 1,000 copies reflects a mid 20th century effort to document and honor Indigenous life in northern Mexico through careful draftsmanship and thoughtful presentation. The paperback binding preserves the original character of the publication, making this volume both an artistic document and a cultural tribute.

About the artist: Aaron Pina Mora (1914 to 2009) was a Mexican painter and muralist whose career spanned much of the 20th century. Born in Metztitlan, Hidalgo, he moved with his family to Mexico City as a child and studied from 1930 to 1933 at the School of Drawing and Sculpture of the Plastic Arts under the Secretariat of Public Education. In the 1940s he settled in Chihuahua, where he refined his practice, and in 1954 received a scholarship from the Ignacio Usle Fernandez Foundation to study in Madrid with Daniel Vazquez Diaz, supplementing his training through close study of works in the Museo del Prado and courses at the Circulo de Bellas Artes.

Returning to Mexico, Pina Mora became a key figure in Chihuahua’s cultural life. In 1956 he founded the School of Plastic Arts at the University of Chihuahua, and two years later was appointed director of the university’s Fine Arts Institute. His most celebrated achievement is the cycle of murals in the Government Palace of Chihuahua, commissioned in 1959 by Governor Teofilo Borunda. When President Adolfo Lopez Mateos visited in 1962, he encouraged the expansion of the project to the upper level, though the large second-floor panels depicting agriculture and mining were not completed until the 1990s, by which time the artist’s style had evolved into a more mature and expressive mode.

Beyond Chihuahua, Pina Mora’s murals and paintings entered collections in Mexico, the United States, and Europe, including works in the Teatro de Delicias in Delicias, Chihuahua, and at Mora Independent School in Mora, New Mexico. He remained active for decades and died at his home in Chihuahua on April 19, 2009.

Condition: Tear to spine of cover causing leaves to be loose at bottom. Some creasing, folds, and discoloring as well as small tears. Imagery and text are still very clear.

Provenance: ex-private Moore collection, Denver, Colorado, USA, acquired prior to 1990

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