04/08/2010
Xavier Esqueda was born in Mexico City on March 29, 1943, the same day that Sergei Rachmanifov died in Beverly Hills, California.
After studying 2 years of Architecture at the National University, he switched to Publicity where, without any formal training, started painting and producing art objects, boxes and sculptures that combine various medias, such as wood, plaster and glass.
Shortly after his 18th birthday, he began to exhibit his work abroad and, in 1965, he was appointed Artist in Residence at Dartmouth College, in New Hampshire, the second artist from Mexico to hold the post, after painter Jose Clemente Orozco held it from 1932 to 1934.
He has traveled all over the world and lived in New York City, London, Amsterdam and his very favorite city of all: San Francisco, from 1976 to 1982. Since then, he has visited The City many times, but this is his first exhibit here in almost 30 years.
Though he has always stayed away from art competitions, during the 1968 Mexico City Olympic games, he was awarded first place at the Magna Solar Exposition, held by the Instituto National de Bellas Artes.
An avid Art Deco historian and collector, he has authored the first Spanish language and definitive book on the subject and his own work has been the subject of several books and publications.
He currently resides in Mexico City.
