PÚRPURA: Del Nopal al Papel (From cactus to paper) | Noé Jacinto

“Art must reflect the characteristics of life at the moment in which it is created.” — Rufino Tamayo

The Mexican Cultural Institute is pleased to present Púrpura: From Cactus to Paper, an exhibition by Noé Jacinto.

Rooted in memory, culture, and lived experience, Jacinto’s work explores the relationship between identity, material, and history. His practice reflects a deep commitment—not only to his craft, but to the communities, traditions, and environments that shape it.

This exhibition pays tribute to the artistic sensibility and human values embedded in traditional garments, particularly the faldas de enredo (pozahuancos) worn by Mixtec women. These textiles embody spirituality, ancestry, and a refined visual language passed down through generations.

At the heart of the exhibition is the color purple, derived from the sustainable “milking” of the Plicopurpura pansa, a technique so precise that it preserves the life of the mollusk. This ancient practice finds a contemporary parallel in Jacinto’s use of cochineal, through which he constructs a vivid and expansive visual universe.

Inspired by the richness of Mexico’s coastline, the artist creates compositions that invite quiet contemplation, opening a dialogue between landscape, tradition, and the human experience.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Noé Jacinto is a Mexican painter born in the coastal region of Oaxaca, that southern state which has been the cradle of great masters of the visual arts, music, and handicrafts—a people of countless artistic virtues. Noé Jacinto continues this legacy. His art reveals the power of the tropics and its many facets. In his large color-rich paintings, we find the typical flora and fauna of the vast geography he comes from: owls, pelicans, hummingbirds, crabs, and more—though, of course, he is not limited to these. He has managed to depict these and many other elements in a distinctive way, turning them into snapshots where characters, animals, and objects acquire their own language and atmosphere.

Deeply rooted in Oaxaca, his unmistakable style- from series of animals to musicians and masked devils of Mixtec origin- marks him as part of Mexico’s new generation of artists who horo their heritage while exploring creative possibilities, inviting viewers into imagination and intimate dialogue with art.

With every brushstroke, Noé Jacinto tells the first chapter of his story, blending traditions, identity and universality into a distinctive signature that transcends borders.