Omar Mendoza (1993, Mexico City) is an artist whose practice is rooted in the creation of paintings with natural colors, as a way of preserving and transmitting chromatic knowledge in Mesoamerica. His work explores change, memory, and transformation. Mendoza conceives his works as living entities, as he creates his pigments from plants, tree bark, and flowers collected mainly in Tlacuilotepec (Puebla), his father’s hometown, together with organic pigments obtained in local markets. These pictorial techniques draw inspiration from those used in pre-Hispanic codices and murals. Most pigments remain unaltered, while others may change over time, reflecting the artist’s intention to evoke the universal nature of transformation. These living works engage in dialogue with historical memory and the worldview of Native American peoples. The artist prepares his canvases by hand with cotton and extracts his inks through a process in which water, heat, and time intertwine. The drawings and preliminary compositions for his works are inspired by dreams and personal experiences that connect with symbolic elements of pre-Hispanic art.

Mendoza has held solo exhibitions at venues such as the Museum of Anthropology of Xalapa (2023) and Steve Turner Gallery in Los Angeles (2024). He has participated in residencies including the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture (2024), A Studio in the Woods by the ByWater Institute at Tulane University (2024), and the Oak Spring Garden Foundation (2024), among others. He was also awarded the FONCA Young Creators grant in 2022. His work is part of important collections in Mexico and abroad.

Headshot by Fernando / A Studio In The Woods