I later discovered that I had another connection with Anguiano. In 1937, he had helped found the illustrious Taller de Grafica Popular, the art workshop where my father spent a summer making lithographs in 1941. So, over the years, I would pay close attention to Anguiano’s unfolding work and career.

Early on in that career Anguiano would be outspoken in his anti-war views. As time passed, his work would focus more on observing people, often women, and his political views would become a less upfront component of his art. But his feelings for the Mexican people and México’s historical path would always guide his hand. A true man of his people.

Anguiano’s passing in 2006 deeply saddened me. I remember him still as a kindly and caring person and a wonderful draftsman, and I was pleased to realize how important a figure the art world considered him to be. I feel honored to have known him personally.

Above, La Espina, oil, 1951. Right, a José Raúl Anguiano Valadez self-portrait.

Above, Woman with Pottery Bowl, charcoal, 1971. Right, Iguana Seller, lithograph, 1983.

Activist Vicky Hamlin is a retired tradeswoman,
shop steward, and painter. In her painting and
in this column, she shines the light on the lives
of working people and the world they live in.