Art makes people of all ages dream, imagine, and transport themselves to faraway places. Art can inspire us; it can be political and a life commentary. As a parent, I enjoy introducing my children to different art mediums, going to museums, and exploring the lives of artists from different parts of the world. I especially enjoy lifting up the art and talent of the Hispanic/Latinx artists that are often lesser known and obscure. This is a list that combines some famous Hispanic artists that are widely known, with some that you may just be discovering. They all have one thing in common: talent. Whether you love painting, sculpting, mosaics, or graffiti, there is surely something your students will love on this list.
16 Famous Hispanic Artists
1. Fernando Botero (1932–2023)
Botero is known for his sculptures featuring plump and round figures. He is from Medellín, Colombia, and his sculptures have been displayed worldwide, including in Paris and New York. His way of sculpting became known as “Boterismo.”
2. Citlali Fabián
Citlali Fabián calls herself a visual storyteller. She is Yalalteca from Oaxaca, Mexico. She explores themes of identity, migration, territory, and community through her art. Check out her art and photography on her Instagram @citlalifabian.
3. Oswaldo Guayasamín (1919–1999)
Oswaldo Guayasamín was an Ecuadorian painter and sculptor from humble beginnings. He started painting when he was a boy of 6 years old! He went on to study at the School of Fine Arts in Quito as a sculptor and painter. Much of his art can be viewed at “La Capilla del Hombre” (the Chapel of Man) outside Quito, Ecuador. The purpose of the chapel is to document “not only man’s cruelty to man but also the potential for greatness within humanity.”
4. Marisol Escobar (1930–2016)
Marisol Escobar was born in Paris to Venezuelan parents. She was highly trained in great art institutions and worked in various mediums including terra-cotta, bronze, and wooden statues and pop art–inspired pieces. She focused on feminine subjects and sought to ignite social change through her art.
5. José Guadalupe Posada Aguilar (1852–1913)
From Mexico, José Guadalupe Posada Aguilar was a political printmaker in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He used illustration and relief printing to make social commentary, incorporating skulls (calaveras)and bones to express political and cultural critiques. One of his most famous works is La Calavera Catrina.
6. Clara Ledesma (1924–1999)
Clara Ledesmawas born in the Dominican Republic and lived in New York City in her later years. She was one of the first women enrolled in the National School of Fine Arts in the Dominican Republic, where she served as vice director later on. Ledesma painted about the social realism and racial inequities of her time.
7. José Rodríguez Fuster (b. 1946)
José Rodríguez Fuster is a Cuban artist who specializes in ceramics, painting, drawing, and mosaics. He is sometimes called the “Picasso of the Caribbean” and often compared to Gaudí. He has turned his home into a whimsical mosaic-filled museum called “Fusterlandia,” which people can visit in Cuba.
8. Romero Britto (b. 1963)
Brazilian Romero Britto is a painter and sculptor known for his use of bold colors. His art includes elements of pop art, graffiti, and cubism.
9. Justin Favela (b. 1986)
Justin Favela is an American mixed-media artist of Guatemalan-Mexican-American heritage. He is famous for making large-size installations in the piñata style. The topics he covers in his work include art history, pop culture, and cultural commentary. He also has a podcast called Latinos Who Lunch. Check out his art on Instagram @favyfav.
10. Frida Kahlo (1907–1954)
Kahlo needs no introduction—she is a world-renowned artist and Mexican icon. Here’s a fun fact: Frida’s birth name is Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón, and she was born to a German father and a mestiza mother. Today she is known for her self-portraits and colorful paintings and as a world-renowned artist and icon. You can visit her childhood home, La Casa Azul (The Blue House), in Coyoacán, Mexico, which has become a museum in her honor.
VOTE mural by Lady Pink at New-York Historical Society via Diana Limongi for We Are Teachers
11. Lady Pink (b. 1964)
Lady Pink is a graffiti artist from Ambato, Ecuador, who moved to the United States when she was a child. She attended the High School of Art and Design and has been creating murals from a young age. She often displays New York City subway trains and cityscapes.
12. Guillo Pérez (1923–2014)
Guillo Pérez was a painter from the Dominican Republic. He is often considered one of the most well-known canvas painters of the island. He was inspired by abstract expressionism and liked to paint with oil on canvas and with a spatula.
13. Roberto Lugo (b. 1981)
Roberto Lugo is a Puerto Rican artist who is talented in a few mediums: He is a potter, poet, educator, and social activist who incorporates history, hip-hop, and politics into his art. He also explored graffiti before moving to ceramics.
14. Natalia Agatte
Natalia Agatte is a Brooklyn-based artist whose illustrations are bright, colorful, and modern. Check out her illustrations on Instagram @nataliaagatte.
15. Ángel Rodríguez-Díaz (1955–2023)
Ángel Rodríguez-Díaz, also known as Angel Luis Rodríguez-Díaz, was an American artist hailing from Puerto Rico. He moved to New York City in his 20s and later on moved to Texas. Ángel worked in oils and did a lot of portraits, and he often depicted themes related to Latino culture, like the Chupacabra, a quinceañera,and Mexican lucha libre (a kind of wrestling). He also painted portraits and public artworks.
“Migration Is Beautiful” Butterfly by Favianna Rodriguez via Diana Limongi for We Are Teachers
16. Favianna Rodriguez (b. 1978)
Favianna Rodriguez is an artist of Peruvian descent from California. She specializes in political art in bright colors and “artivism” (art in activism). Check out the beautiful butterfly she created as a coloring sheet to say “Migration is beautiful.”
