Ernst Saemisch (1902-1984) was a German painter whose life and innovative pictorial proposal were shaped by the impact of the World Wars, the avant-garde, and the scientific and philosophical ruptures of the first half of the 20^th century. He was also deeply connected to nature and to the cultural and natural wealth of Mexico, the country where he emigrated in 1964.

The exhibition The Intimate Nature of Life. Ernst Saemisch (1902-1984) was curated by Eugenio Caballero, an Academy Award-winning production designer and curator, renowned for his ability to create captivating visual worlds in the film industry. This exhibition gathers 220 works of art by Saemisch that invite the audience to reflect on human nature, the role of historic context in his artistic work, and how his life experiences determined his creative path. 

Nature, for Saemisch, held a profound meaning that went beyond visual appearance and whose essence Saemisch sought to unravel, going from figuration to abstraction. The Mesoamerican world view transformed this creative process after he arrived in Mexico.

Saemisch’s pictorial legacy captures the essence of a period marked by restlessness, suffering and the search for meaning amid adversity. His work endures as a proof of the capacity art has to go beyond borders and connect with our deeper existence.

This exhibition will be on display from December 14, 2025 to May 18, 2025, at the Colegio de San Ildefonso.

It offers an opportunity to explore Saemisch’s work throughout his various creative phases, the first of which temporally coincides with the Mexican Muralism Movement and the muralists who left their mark on Colegio de San Ildefonso.