First international institutional solo show of the late Indigenous Guatemalan artist Francisco Tún, with his expansive colour fields and tiny human figures.
Nottingham Contemporary is hosting Francisco Tún from 6 February to 5 May 2027, the first international institutional solo show for the late Indigenous Guatemalan artist. Tún (1948–1989) grew up in a working-class Indigenous family in Guatemala City and was entirely self-taught. His work is hard to pin down to any one style, and that's part of the draw.
His break came in 1969 when his painting El fruto del alcohol caught the eye of French art critic Edith Recourat at the national Shell painting competition. She became his champion and helped him get his first solo show in 1970 at the Escuela Nacional de Artes Plásticas. Over the next two decades, Tún developed a visual language all his own: wide, expansive fields of colour punctuated by tiny human figures. He worked across canvas, wood and textiles, and the show brings together that body of work.
There's a bit of a mystery to his story, too. Tún died or disappeared in 1989, leaving behind a significant amount of work that stayed largely in Guatemala. In the years since, a term was coined to describe the resurgence of interest he's seen back home: tunmanía. Despite that, his work has rarely been seen outside his own country, so this is the first time it's being shown in an international institution.
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It's a long run, so you've got plenty of time to fit it in. Entry is free, with the option to donate if you feel like it. The exhibition runs from 6 February to 5 May 2027 at Nottingham Contemporary.
