Overview
Sculptor, painter, and print maker Francisco Zuñiga was born in Costa Rica. He studied drawing, stone sculpture, and engraving at the School of Fine Arts in San Jose. Later, in 1936, he studied stone carving at La Esmeralda in Mexico City. He was appointed to the faculty of La Esmeralda where he remained until his retirement in 1970.
Zuñiga's art reflects a love and respect for Central American people and traditions. In 1972, he created his first lithograph. As a complement to his emotionally powerful sculpture, Zuñiga's paintings are intended to articulate the sensitivity and sensuality of the human figure.
He has been the recipient of numerous international prizes and awards. His work is exhibited throughout the world. His work can be found in the permanent collections of twenty-nine museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Los Angeles County Museum, the Mexican Museum in San Francisco, and the Phoenix Art Museum.
Awards
Primer Escultura, Costa Rica
Expos Art Centro Americano, 1935
Premio for Diego Rivera, Second Biennial Inter-Am. Art, 1960
Premio Adquisicion Inst. Nac. Bellas Artes.
Exhibitions
Third Sculpture International, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1949
Kunst Mexikaner, Köln, Germany, 1959
Exposition Zuniga, San Diego and Phoenix Art Museum, 1971
Galleria Tasende, Guerrero, Mexico, 1970's
Museums and Public Collections
Arthur Ross Gallery at the University of Pennsylvania
Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University
Canton Museum of Art, Ohio
Coos Art Museum, Coos Bay, Oregon
Harvard Art Museums, Massachusetts
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.
Housatonic Museum of Art, Connecticut
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, California
Middlehiem Museum, Antwerpen, Belgium
Fogg Art Museum, Massachusetts
Fine Art Galleries, San Diego, CA
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, California
Mus Arte Mod.. Mexico City, Mexico
Phoenix Art Museum, AZ
Wichita Art Museum, Kansas
Wichita State University Outdoor Sculpture Garden, Kansas
Public Commissions
Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, 1958
Monument to Cuauhtemoc, Quito, Ecuador, 1961
Fuentes Monumentales, Mexico City, 1962
