Fairy tales painted by Sofía Bassi that almost turn into nightmares are exhibited

A photograph of the painter Sofía Bassi (1913-1998), taken by Kati Horna, caught the attention of gallerist Georgina Pounds so much that she organized an exhibition of more than 60 paintings and drawings in her new space, considered the “largest to date” by this surrealist artist. “Her appearance was what shook me. She seemed like someone I would have liked to meet. I had the impression that she would be fun to talk to, quite a character,” says Pounds.

The trained architect sought out Bassi’s family, whose legacy is protected by a foundation that bears her name, run by her daughter-in-law Teresa Trouyet, who married Hadelin Diericx, son of the painter’s first marriage. The also author of the book Sofía Bassi: Portals to other worlds helped Pounds in the curation and assembly of the exhibition titled The universe of Sofía Bassi.

Pounds’ main purpose is to present an artist who is not known internationally and place her work in museums “around the world.” Although he has a surrealist tendency, he is not generally placed in this group along with Leonora Carrington and Remedios Varo, for example.

For Pounds, Bassi’s work differs from that of those creators by containing “less symbolism”: “there is a direct reference to her dreams, her memories and her family. In some ways her work is much more innocent, even a little more naive. She paints almost as if she were a young girl because of the stories and themes she worked on throughout her work. They are soft in some way, even though her experience in prison was traumatic. For me, innocence is what defines her as an artist. In that sense, it does not fit with the painting and style of Carrington and Varo.”

in jail

On January 3, 1968, Bassi was imprisoned in Acapulco – where she and her second husband, Gian Franco Bassi, had a house – for the accidental death of Count Cesare D’Acquarone, husband of her daughter Claire. “Four and a half years passed and due to a modification to the law that contemplates early release for humanitarian and artistic work, he was released in June 1972,” writes Teresa Trouyet.

During his stay in prison, Bassi painted around 250 works that, when signed, added the initials ELC (in prison). He also executed his first mural there, of several sections, with the support of Alberto Gironella, José Luis Cuevas, Rafael Coronel and Francisco Corzas. It is currently located in the municipal palace of Acapulco. During his time in confinement, Bassi became an “icon”.

More than chronological, the exhibition is organized by themes. A first section revolves around motherhood, in addition to including portraits and many self-portraits. Although most of the pieces come from the family legacy, some come from private collections, such as the portrait of actress María Félix. Another section brings together paintings that relate to “turbulent oceans,” according to Pounds.

The exhibition includes a work that is exhibited for the first time: The Ovosarcophagusa large egg-shaped object, inside which Bassi spent 10 years, from 1988 to 1998, painting an endless universe of stars. For the gallerist, something that defines the artist is that she paints “fairy tales that are almost nightmares. One sees many unicorns, waterfalls and castles.”

Born in Ciudad Camerino Mendoza, Veracruz, Sofía Celorio Mendoza, her given name, had no formal education in art. Although she studied philosophy for two years at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, she began painting in 1964, encouraged by her husband Gian Franco.

Surrealism is a movement that is currently attracting great interest. An example is the exhibition Frida: The making of an iconwhich will open on June 25 at the Tate Modern gallery in London. According to Pounds, this is “a good time for art in Mexico. Many people are inspired by the expressions seen here. They are surprised by the quality of the art found. For me, it begins with the link between architecture and the arts.”

The sample The universe of Sofía Bassi It can be seen until May 24 at the Georgina Pounds Gallery (Álvaro Obregón 99, Colonia Roma) from Wednesday to Saturday from 12 to 7 p.m. and Sundays from 12 to 5 p.m.