PAINTER of the DIVINE

Someone recently commented on my use of so much modern/contemporary art in my Blogs.  They were not complaining,  just saying how much it opens them to better prayer. I could ask for no more!

In his address to artists in 2009, Pope Benedict XVI said: “the experience of beauty does not remove us from reality, on the contrary, it leads to a direct encounter with the daily reality of our lives, liberating it from darkness, transfiguring it, making it radiant and beautiful.”

 “You are the custodians of beauty … you yourselves are to be heralds and witnesses of hope for humanity!”

The Catholic artist whose imagination is kindled by the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist presents a transforming faith in the chaos of the world today. Art has great potential to reach people in the midst of their differences with the Body of Christ. No matter the culture, nationality good art touches the depths of our soul.

One Catholic artist who dedicated his life to creating such art was the Mexican artist, EFREN ORDONEZ,  who created paintings, sculptures and stained glass. His work often focused on religious themes and he has been called 'the painter of the divine'.

Efren was born in Chihuahua in 1927, but moved to Monterrey at the age of two and retained close links with that city for the rest of his life. After attending Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, he joined the School of Law and Social Sciences at the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon, but switched to architecture.

In the early 1950's, the city of Monterrey was almost completely barren of art galleries or institutions to promote artists.  As one of the pioneers of art in Monterrey,  he set up an exhibit at the Edificio Rayón for the Third National Missionary Congress. His subjects were all religious and centered on the Missionary quests of Pope Pius XII. He finished his studies in 1953, but at the same time he was already an emerging figure in the art world.

He was commissioned to create prints, sculptures, murals and stained glass for the Archdiocese of Monterrey in 1955, and this earned him recognition as an artist who could translate religious themes through art.

Efren Ordoñez's work was exhibited in Mexico and also the United States.

A retrospective of his work was held in 1976 in Monterrey.  He was awarded the "Presea Estado" (Civic Merit Award) for his art by the government of Nuevo Leon  in 1988. In 2000, his work was included in '100 Years performed by 100 Artists, Visual Arts in Nuevo Leon'.  He died in 2011 of prostate cancer. He left behind a legacy of art that is continued by his daughter Sylvia and her husband Arturo Marty.

 .