Remembering Lucia Laguna, Rodrigo Cass, and Nelson Garrido
This week, we honor a Brazilian painter inspired by nature and another who drew on Catholicism, and a Venezuelan photographer who challenged power.
Remembering Lucia Laguna, Rodrigo Cass, and Nelson Garrido
Lucia Laguna, a Brazilian painter and collage artist, passed away in 2026. Drawing inspiration from her surroundings in Rio de Janeiro’s North Zone, her work explored the vibrant flora and fauna of her studio’s view. Laguna’s compositions often featured multiple perspectives, reflecting the city’s diverse landscapes. Her art, exhibited at the 2012 São Paulo Biennial and in numerous solo shows worldwide, showcased her urgent curiosity about art and its connection to the world around her.
Nelson Garrido, a Venezuelan photographer, also met his end in 2026. His work challenged power, religion, violence, and eroticism over a long career marked by relentless censorship from church and state. Despite this, Garrido became the first photographer to win Venezuela’s National Prize for Visual Art in 1991. He also received the 2021 International Association of Art Critics Venezuelan Chapter Master of Arts Award and numerous other prizes, rejecting them. Garrido’s raw, provocative photography continues to provoke thought and discussion.
Lastly, Argentine painter, draftsman, and printmaker Carlos Alonso died in 2026. Known for his socialist realist and new realist works, Alonso’s art visualized the nation’s cultural heritage and political history. He won Argentina’s prestigious Platinum Konex Award twice and exhibited widely across Latin America and Europe. Alonso’s work is displayed in iconic institutions such as Mexico City’s Palacio de Bellas Artes and Cuba’s Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana, as well as galleries in the United Kingdom and Italy.
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