Francisco Palacios
Guayama, PR, 1915 - 1972
Biography Details
At 19 years old, he moved to San Juan following the steps of his brother, Rafael Palacios, great painter, whose drawings awoke his enthusiasm and made him follow in his footsteps. Later he moved to New York, where he studied the technique of silkscreen printing for the production of educational posters, ultimately joining the Puerto Rico Health Department as an operator of that system. Over the years, he went to work at the cinema and graphics section of the Parks and Recreation Commission, where he ended up being interested in painting. Afterwards, he worked as a civil servant at the División de Educación de la Comunidad (Community Education Division) (DIVEDCO). He was part of the artists from the Generación del 50 (50’s Generation) in Puerto Rico.
Artist Statement
“Among my favorite painters there is Van Gogh, George Braque, Cézanne, and Orozco. Amid the Puerto Rican painters I greatly admire Rosado del Valle and also others. I think that Puerto Rican painters should not go to Europe to study or to any other country, since our Island is the best school”.
Source: Interview by F. Cancel Hernández for the newspaper El Mundo.
Formation
Education
Late 1930s
- Courses in Silkscreen Technique. New York, United States
Professional Experience
nd
- Silkscreen printer of Educational Posters. Health Department of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Cinematographer and Printmaker. Parks and Recreation Commission of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
c.1956
- Civil servant. Community Education Division (DIVEDCO), San Juan, Puerto Rico
Exhibitions
Solo Shows
1956
- Galería La Pintadera, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Group Shows
2013
- Interconexiones: lecturas curatoriales de la colección permanente del MAPR, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
nd
- Festival del Caribe, Puerto Rico
- Exposición Colectiva del Caribe, Puerto Rico
- Ateneo Puertorriqueño, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Jamaica
Collections
- Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Bibliography
Catalogues
Interconexiones: lecturas curatoriales de la colección permanente del MAPR, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2012
Newspapers
Cancel Hernández, F. “Francisco Palacios: Pintor Boricua Expone En Galería Río Piedras”. El Mundo (San Juan, PR), 18 de febrero de 1956, p. 21.