MARIANA YAMPOLSKY

(1925 - 2002, b. Chicago, IL)

Mariana Yampolsky was a Mexican-American artist, who photographed the rural life of Mexico in the 20th century.  Her photographs captured the pride of the people, beauty of the land, poverty, disease, and filth on the streets that Mexico encompassed during this time. Mariana was born in Chicago to German-Jewish mother, and Russian-Jewish father Oscar Yampolsky. She graduated from the University of Chicago in 1944 receiving her Bachelor of Arts in the Social Sciences. After graduating, Mariana moved to Mexico to continue her studies and become a Mexican citizen in 1958. She studied at the National School for Painting, Sculpture, and Graphics, as well as the San Carlos Academy where she studied photography. Mariana is honored by the Mariana Yampolsky Foundation, which preserves over 70,000 negatives of Marianas life’s work. Her photographs have been shown at exhibitions at the Museo de Arte Moderno, Dallas Museum of Art, International Center for Photography, Mexican Fine Arts Museum, Musée d’Art Moderne, and many more.