New York artist finds an unlikely muse in rural Yucatán
Last weekend saw an art exhibit titled “Wild Palms” by New York artist Ro Lohin.
The exhibition is set to continue every day until Dec. 30 (except Sundays) at the antique shop Santo Remedio Antigüedades, hosted by Armando Maiquez and Ken Hardin.
The exhibit was made up entirely of pieces produced by Lohin while in Yucatán. Their subject matter ranges from portraits to landscapes and renderings of her favorite model — a donkey named Camila.
“Even when I was back in New York I could not get the image of my friend Camila out of my head and dreams. So now when I come back to Yucatán I always go looking for her with some pieces of mango,” says Lohin.
During one of her trips, Lohin discovered that Camila now had a companion, another donkey by the name of Kalimba. Feeling that now Camila had some company, Lohin decided to take on other animal models as well, including cattle and a white horse named Arocho.
Ro Lohin first came to Yucatán 30 years ago on a holiday with her husband Kevin Wixted, who is also an accomplished artist and professor.
The pair fell in love with the natural beauty of the Peninsula and several years later, in 2005, decided to buy some land that had belonged to an old henequen hacienda.
“Plants, animals, insects, birds, and water are always active players in the ever-changing show. With repeated trips to the casita our love grew,” says Lohin.
Over time, Lohin and her husband became close with local families who also sometimes served as models. The pair also became enamored of the region’s archaeological sites, cenotes, and festivals, including the bullfights and townwide fiestas organized by local guilds.
Lohin does most of her painting in Yucatán under the shade of a thatched palapa on her property, where the light is best.
“I like painting outdoors, where the possibility of micro to macro is available. I like that ‘infinity’ is an available plane (meaning the sky) and also the particle of paint,” says Lohin.
Ro Lohin’s exhibition “Wild Palms” will remain open to the public until Dec. 30 — Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM and on Saturdays from 9 AM to 2 PM.
Santo Remedio Antigüedades, on Reforma (72 por 41 Centro)
For more information on Ro Lohin and her artwork, visit rolohin.com
Senior Editor Carlos Rosado van der Gracht is a Mexican expedition/Canadian photographer and adventure leader. Born in Mérida, Carlos holds multimedia, philosophy, and translation degrees from universities in Mexico, Canada and Norway.
