Carmen Mondragon

Carmen Mondragón was a Mexican painter, poet, and artist's model who was born in a wealthy family at the end of the Porfiriato era. She received a privileged education in Mexico and Europe, where she learned French and met some of the most influential artists of the 20th century, such as Pablo Picasso and Diego Rivera. She married Manuel Rodríguez Lozano, a military cadet and painter, in 1913, but they separated in 1921 after returning to Mexico. She became involved in the artistic and cultural scene of Mexico City, where she adopted the name Nahui Olin, meaning "four movement" in Nahuatl. She had several love affairs with prominent figures, such as Dr. Atl, a painter and writer who inspired her to create her own paintings and poems. She was known for her unconventional and rebellious personality, as well as her erotic and expressive nudes, which challenged the conservative norms of her time. She also wrote two books of poems, Óptica cerebral, poemas dinámicos (1922) and Calinement je suis dedans (1923), and a novel, Energía cósmica (1937). She faded from the public eye in the 1940s and lived in poverty and isolation until her death in 1978. She is now recognized as one of the most original and influential female artists of Mexico.