Pedro Mendoza Ortega is a Zapotec multidisciplinary artist, originally from San Martin Tilcajete, Ocotlán, Oaxaca (MEXICO).
His appreciation for art developed in his family environment, where his mother, Luisa Ortega Cruz, a folk artist, and his father, Simón Mendoza Martínez, a laborer, instilled in him the love of their customs and traditions and the value of the craftsmanship that is inherited one generation after another from grandparents to sons and daughters. Since he was young, and until finishing his university career, he has participated in the activities of his family’s craft workshop.
From a young age, he has created works of art using different techniques; he is passionate about colors and mystical beings. In Oaxaca he has participated in different spaces as a facilitator of workshops for children, teens, and adults, obtaining honorable mention on two occasions from the Friends of Oaxaca Folk Art. He has presented his work in different forums such as the Chelsea College of Arts in England with the theme Día de Muertos (2016); the Barranquilla Colombia Carnival with the making of the float “We Are All Nahual” (2018); in the program “Celebrate Oaxaca” with Sol Collective Arts and Cultural Center of Sacramento, CA (2019); as a workshop leader at the Crocker Art Museum (Sacramento, CA); and at the National Museum of Popular Cultures (Mexico City) with the exhibition Testigos (2020).
Pedro cherishes the teachings of his parents and grandparents, who, along with music and art, are his driving force. He is aware of the responsibility they placed in him and feels proud of his roots. He enjoys developing unique pieces that carry part of him and that are inspired by the great cultural wealth of Oaxaca and Mexico. He is always grateful to those who are no longer alive, for having left in his veins the cultural heritage that is currently manifested in his works of art which his mind develops and his hands mold.
Pedro Mendoza Ortega
Pedro Mendoza Ortega es un artista zapoteca multidisciplinario, originario de San Martin Tilcajete, Ocotlán, Oaxaca (MEXICO). Su aprecio por el arte nace en el ámbito familiar, en donde su madre de ocupación artesana, Luisa Ortega Cruz y su padre, obrero, Simón Mendoza Martínez, le inculcan el amor hacia sus costumbres y tradiciones, y el valor del trabajo artesanal que generación tras generación se hereda, de abuelos a hijos y a hijas. Desde pequeño, y hasta terminar su carrera universitaria, participa en las actividades del taller artesanal de su familia.
Desde muy joven ha creado obras de arte en distintas técnicas; le gustan y le apasionan los colores y los seres místicos. En Oaxaca ha participado en distintos espacios como facilitador de talleres para niños, jóvenes y adultos; obteniendo en dos ocasiones, mención honorífica en Friends of Oaxaca Folk Art. Ha participado en distintos foros como el Chelsea College of Arts en Reino Unido con el tema Día de Muertos (2016), el Carnaval de Barranquilla Colombia con la elaboración de la carrosa “Todos somos Nahual” (2018), en “Celebrate Oaxaca” con Sol Collective Arts and Cultural Center de Sacramento, California (2019), y como tallerista en el Crocker Art Museum (Sacramento, CA), y en el Museo Nacional de Culturas Populares con la exposición “Testigos” (2020).
En su memoria guarda las enseñanzas de sus padres y abuelos, quienes junto con la música y el arte son sus motores. Está consciente de la responsabilidad que ellos depositaron en él, y se siente orgulloso de sus raíces, por lo que es un placer poder desarrollar piezas únicas que llevan parte de él, y que son inspiradas por la gran riqueza cultural de Oaxaca y México. Siempre se siente agradecido con los que ya no están en vida, por haber dejado en sus venas la herencia cultural que actualmente se manifiesta en obras de arte, que su mente desarrolla y sus manos moldea.