Vladimir Cora

Vladimir Cora (born 1951, Acaponeta, Nayarit) is a Mexican painter and sculptor based in the state of Nayarit, whose work has been recognized by various awards and membership in the Salón de la Plástica Mexicana.

He discovered art at age fifteen, after deciding that he could not be a musician.

He had his very first exhibition in 1974 in Nayarit.

He received training in Tijuana and Mexico City, with his first success in the 1980s.

His style has been described as neo-figurative, minimalist and coarse, and he creates his works in series usually related to the apostles, flowers, birds and women, especially those related to Nayarit.

He has had over 150 individual exhibitions both in Mexico and abroad and continues to work from his home state.

Vladimir Cora was born in San Diego el Naranjo in the municipality of Acaponeta, Nayarit.

His father named him after Vladimir Lenin, and his last name is derived from that of the Cora people who are native to his home state.

He played with lace, white paper and paintbrushes as a child, but did not discover art until he was a teenager.

At age fourteen, he wanted to be a musician, inspired by Carlos Santana, but says that he had to give it up for “…having clumsy hands.” He discovered art at age fifteen, working as a delivery boy for his aunt's pharmacy in Mazatlán.

There he came across a magazine cover with a reproduction of a Monet painting.

He took some classes and began by reproducing images he saw in publications.

He stated that when he discovered art, he decided that it was what he was born for.

Frustrated with his progress, he decided to run off to Mexico City and he remembers his first time seeing the Palacio de Bellas Artes.

Struggling to survive and learn art, he was in the city only six months before he hitchhiked his way to Tijuana.

There he also had problems finding shelter until someone gave him room and board in exchange for some of his drawings, but he did manage to attend some classes.

After Tijuana, he returned to Mazatlán where he met with family disapproval but he says he never regretted it.

Later, he entered the Escuela Nacional de Pintura, Escultura y Grabado "La Esmeralda" but only stayed for a year and a half.

There he met Gabriel Macotela, who introduced him to Gilberto Aceves Navarro.

He also worked in Rufino Tamayo’s studio and learned various techniques that he used in his own work, but says he never tried to imitate his teacher's work.

Since beginning his career, he has mostly lived off his art, teaching classes as well in various places.

When he works, he is in his studio from morning until night and often does not even go out to eat.

He remains in his native Nayarit and has never considered living in Mexico City to further his career or fame.

His routine is early, getting up at 6am to run, then drinking coffee to begin painting at 730.

He considers himself reclusive and tends to shy away from social events.

However, he does value connections with other artists and sharing ideas with them.

When he is not painting he enjoys his aviary where he has a number of parrot and macaw species.

He began to be able to live off his art around 1981, when he had an exhibition in Puerto Vallarta, where all thirty three pieces sold in one night.

He used the money to buy a car.

In 1982 he entered two pieces at the first Rufino Tamayo biennale in Oaxaca.

One received a prize which allowed him to meet the famous Oaxacan painter.

Since then he has had his work exhibited in a wide variety of galleries and cultural centers in Mexico such as the Museo Regional de Nayarit, the Instituto Regional de Bellas Ares in Mazatlan, the Ex-Convento del Carmen in Guadalajara, the Museo de Arte Moderno in Culiacán and the Galería HB in Mexico City.

He met his wife in 1986 and they eloped.

They were separated for three years, reunited in 1989 and shortly after his first daughter Adilene was born.

They did not have the religious ceremony until 1999, with painter Manuel Felguérez and his wife Mercedes as witnesses.

The couple has two other children, Vladimir and Lica.

He does not like to fly and prefers to travel by automobile when he has to travel.

Cora has had over 150 individual exhibitions and has participated in many more collective ones.

In 2004, he created a series of pieces such as paintings, graphic work and sculpture with fellow Mexican artist Jazzamoart and exhibited them.

He has defined himself as a romantic who should have been born in the 18th century.