Mario Toral, a talented Chilean artist, has excelled in painting, printmaking, and photography for 60 years. His brilliant career has earned him more than 30 awards, both in Chile and abroad. Explore here the ten most important milestones that have shaped his life and art.
1. An adventurous spirit
Mario Toral was born in Santiago on February 12, 1934. At 16, he told his mother he would be gone for three weeks, and it took him almost 20 years to return. He went on an adventure, sleeping on the streets and in train stations, all with the goal of reaching Paris. His journey to study art took him to Buenos Aires, Montevideo, and São Paulo, where he held his first exhibition at age 20. He eventually settled in Paris and later in New York, cities where he fully developed his intense painting work before returning to Chile.
2. Strange shapes that inspire
Mario Toral's childhood was marked by his neighborhood. The surroundings of Molina Street in Santiago and its uniform, continuous-facade houses held a space waiting to be discovered in their heights, one that would inspire the artist's imagination. Wandering among the roofs of those houses, he always found something interesting; every corner revealed unexpected treasures: blurred outlines of furniture fragments or debris that revealed curious shapes. In contrast to the monotony of the street, walking across the rooftops was exciting and rich in shapes and colors for the young artist.
3. His first teacher.
Next to his childhood home was the store of Don Agustín, an old man of Spanish origin who painted behind the counter. Don Agustín used the objects he sold in his shop as models for his still-life paintings. However, every time a customer arrived, he had to interrupt his work. Toral kept several paintings the shop owner gave him, and many years later, when he had already developed his career, Don Agustín would say, "This is my student," proud of having inspired the artist and been his first teacher.
4. Death at Christmas
Mario Toral's father He was Spanish, from the north, Asturian, and arrived in Chile at the age of 14 on a cargo ship. He worked in wooden barracks, bakeries, and textile stores and spent many years sleeping under a counter. Over the years, he built a prosperous business that led him to become the owner of American Shoes. Until he was unexpectedly left dead on the doorstep of his house on Christmas Day when Mario was 14. This sudden death didn't allow them to make peace; his father was a very strict person and the The relationship was always very distant, which is why, since he was little, Toral invented another life, where he dreamed a lot as a way to escape that hostile reality.
5. No fear of large format
Mario Toral is the manager and creator of the mural Visual Memory of a Nation, a work that covers more than 1,200 square meters of the Universidad de Chile Metro station. The large painting, inaugurated in 1999, recreates Chile's general history as a "true visual narrative," capturing its most significant milestones through the eyes of the artist, who develops a body of work that is heir to the Latin American muralist tradition. In March 2001, another mural by Toral was inaugurated in the Hall of Honor of the University of Chile's Central Building. The work took about two months to complete.
6. Multiple jobs
In his determination to reach Paris, Mario fell on hard times and had to work in a series of jobs before being able to fully dedicate himself to his passion for painting. He held various jobs—carpenter, bricklayer, dockworker, book sewer, and even waiter—before finding work coloring plaster figures for nativity scenes. His first commissions were to paint cows and donkeys, but his skill quickly led him to portraits of virgins and children. The compensation he received for this work allowed him to enroll in the evening classes at the School of Fine Arts in Montevideo, a crucial step on his path to formal artistic training.
7. A multifaceted artist
In addition to excelling in painting, printmaking, and photography, Mario Toral also worked as an illustrator of poetry books and ventured into writing essays and short stories. He collaborated with his friend Pablo Neruda, illustrating iconic works such as "Machu Picchu," "Art of Birds," and "Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair." His short stories have been published in the United States, Sweden, and France. In Chile, he has published the essay collection "Tanai and the Splendor of Eros."
8. Toral and teaching
After a prolonged absence, Mario Toral returned to Chile with the intention of continuing his vigorous artistic work and delving into the teaching field. He began teaching painting and printmaking at the Catholic University, while also becoming the founder and first dean of the School of Art at the Universidad Finis Terrae. Since 1996, he has been recognized as a Full Member of the Academy of Fine Arts of the Chilean Institute.
9. Director of Workshop 99
Taller 99 was founded in 1956, inspired by Nemesio Antúnez's experience at Atelier 17, directed by Stanley William Hayter in Paris. This experience motivated him to recreate a similar project in Chile, with the goal of exploring various printmaking techniques in depth. The first members included renowned artists such as Delia del Carril, Roser Bru, Florencia de Amesti, Inge Schoenemann, Luz Donoso Puelma, Ricardo Yrarrázaval, Dinora Doudchitzky, Eduardo Vilches, and Juan Downey, among others.
In 1964, Nemesio Antúnez was appointed Chile's Cultural Attaché to the United States, which led to Mario Toral taking over as director of the workshop. Under his leadership, the workshop continued its work until 1973, when it was closed due to the military coup.
10. Wings and roots
The artist's ultimate project was to establish the Mario Toral Foundation. However, the initiative was cut short after he was defrauded by Alberto Chang, resulting in the total loss of the funds intended for its implementation. The project has been adapted to a smaller scale and renamed "Wings and Roots Free Space," an expression that Toral uses as his artistic emblem and is also the name of the School of Visual Arts at the Universidad Finis Terrae. Wings and Roots means to imagine, but always to see what lies behind.
Mario Toral's life is an artistic odyssey that crosses borders and disciplines. From his beginnings in Santiago to his global exploration, each experience has enriched his creativity.
With a diverse range of artistic expressions ranging from painting to teaching, his legacy extends beyond his monumental works. His perseverance and commitment to art serve as a beacon for future generations of artists, demonstrating that art is a powerful tool for transformation and expression.
Tengo un cuadro precioso de Mario Toral. Le tengo un inmenso cariño.