Artemio Rodriguez - prints and biography
Artemio Rodriguez
Biography
Artemio Rodríguez (b. 1972, Tacámbaro, Michoacán, Mexico) is a printmaker whose bold relief prints merge Mexican folk traditions with contemporary themes. In 1994 he immigrated to the United States, settling first in Los Angeles, where he began creating what would later become his acclaimed Lotería series. Over the following years, Rodríguez lived and worked in both Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, developing a practice that combined his artistic vision with a commitment to community-based printmaking.
In 2002, Rodríguez founded La Mano Press in Los Angeles, an artist-run printmaking center dedicated to promoting and supporting print culture. The press quickly became a hub for artists, students, and collectors interested in the possibilities of relief printmaking. Although Rodríguez later returned to Mexico, La Mano continues to operate, while he has established a new press in his homeland, where he now mentors a new generation of Mexican printmakers.
Rodríguez’s art is rooted in the visual language of traditional woodcuts and the enduring influence of Mexican masters such as José Guadalupe Posada. His black-and-white prints—often stark, satirical, and filled with sharp contrasts—carry forward the legacy of printmaking as a tool for both cultural celebration and social critique. His subjects range from timeless allegories to political commentary, reflecting a deep engagement with cultural memory, justice, and everyday life.
Beyond his prints, Rodríguez has created numerous illustrated books and portfolios that extend his visual storytelling into literary and narrative forms. His works have been widely exhibited across Mexico and the United States, securing his reputation as a leading voice in contemporary printmaking.
Through both his art and his teaching, Rodríguez embodies the dual role of artist and cultural transmitter. By preserving the historic power of the woodcut while adapting it to modern narratives, he has reinvigorated relief printmaking for 21st-century audiences.
Exhibitions
Solo and group shows throughout Mexico and the United States
Lotería series exhibited widely and collected internationally
Collections
Public and private collections in Mexico and the U.S.
Illustrated books and portfolios held by libraries and cultural institutions