For family reasons, I moved from Miami to my mother’s home in Mexico City. What was meant to be a temporary stay quickly turned into something far more permanent when the COVID-19 pandemic began. I have always believed that crises create opportunities and that things happen for a reason. With that mindset, I suggested to my mother that we create a series of oil paintings to commercialize. She had the talent; I had the energy and the vision—and the lockdown gave us the time to bring the idea to life.

Our goal was to create something unique, tasteful, and artistically meaningful—a deliberate contrast to the tacky, overused imagery of characters like Scrooge McDuck, Tony Montana, or the Monopoly Man. The same applies to certain highly visible “artists” such as Romero Britto, Richard Orlinski, or Mr. Brainwash: undeniably talented marketers and self-promoters, yet, in my personal view, their work lacks any artistic substance. Beyond aesthetics, we also wanted to differentiate ourselves by focusing on themes deeply rooted in Mexican culture and tradition, accompanied by thoughtful explanations that transform each piece into a richer, more educational experience. As a podcaster recently said while discussing entrepreneurship, “If you do what everybody else is doing, you’ve already failed.”

I’ve always had a deep passion for the arts—especially painting—fostered by my mother, my late father, an art collector, and my sister, who studied art history. Living in Europe for seven years during high school and college further deepened this appreciation. Yet, I chose to study international economics and later worked in consulting and commercial real estate. Throughout, I carried a quiet drive to build something from the ground up, meaningful and true to what I care about. Ultimately, your brand is shaped by what matters to you, fueled by your passions, and brought to life through your personality.

Life eventually gave me the chance to reconnect with my mother and, by extension, to reinvent myself through work that feels both rewarding and genuinely enjoyable. One must never forget, there is no such thing as success without fulfillment.

Francisco “Paco” Díaz Cuéllar

Bertha Cuéllar Aguilar is a Mexican artist whose work draws on Spanish colonial art, sacred iconography, and the rich traditions of Mexican folklore. Inspired by Mexico’s rich artistic heritage in painting and sculpture, she revives traditional techniques to preserve practices that have gradually faded over the centuries. Her work connects viewers with the past, sustaining these traditions in the present.

Her formation in oil painting, with an emphasis on layered glazing, took place under Mexican master Benjamín Domínguez, a member of the postmodern and Baroque school, where she acquired his techniques firsthand.

Her work has been exhibited in museums and galleries across Mexico, the United States, and the United Kingdom, including a special invitation to show at the Hermès flagship on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris.

Virgen de Loreto

15 by 30 by 12 inches

Click on images to enlarge

Exhibitions

2001 

GOOD HANDS GALLERY, SANTA FE, USA.                                                           

CASA DE CULTURA DELEGACIÓN MIXCOAC, MÉXICO.                                   

BIENAL GUADALUPANA, CONVENTO DE EL CARMEN, MÉXICO.

2000 

MUSEO NACIONAL DEL VIRREINATO, MÉXICO.             

GOOD HANDS GALLERY, SANTA FE, USA.

1999  

BIENAL GUADALUPANA, EMBAJADA DE USA, MÉXICO.

1998 

CONVENTO DE EL CARMEN, GRUPO WUTTER, MÉXICO.

1997 

FESTIVAL CENTRO HISTÓRICO, ANTIGUO ARZOBISPADO, MÉXICO.                       

BIENAL GUADALUPANA, CONVENTO DE EL CARMEN, MÉXICO.               

GALERÍA ARTE OBJETO, MÉXICO.

1996 

SOCIEDAD DE ANGELOLOGIA, MÉXICO.     

COLEGIO DE BACHILLERES, MÉXICO.                                                              

GALERÍA S.E.C.O.F.I., MÉXICO.

1995 

CONVENTO DESIERTO DE LOS LEONES, MÉXICO.                                            

HOTEL DE MEXICO, MÉXICO.                                                                                      

BIENAL GUADALUPANA, MÉXICO. 

1994 

HERMÈS, 24 RUE DU FAUBOURG SAINT-HONORÉ, PARIS, FRANCE. 

GALERÍA ESTEBAN DE ANTUÑANO, MÉXICO.                                                    

COLEGIO FRANCES DEL PEDREGAL, MÉXICO.

1993 

GALERÍA ESTEBAN DE ANTUÑANO, MÉXICO.       

CENTRO CULTURAL DOMECQ, MÉXICO.

1992 

GALERÍA VENTAS LIBRES, I.N.B.A, MÉXICO.                                                      

SALON CALDER, HOTEL CAMINO REAL, MÉXICO.                                          

CENTRO CULTURAL IGNACIO RAMÍREZ, GUANAJUATO, MÉXICO.                    

CASA DE CULTURA, VALLE DE BRAVO, MÉXICO.