Arnold Belkin

Biography

Arnold Belkin was born on December 9, 1930, in Calgary, Canada. He grew up and received his art education in western Canada, yet he was not drawn to traditional Canadian art. Inspired by images of Diego Rivera’s works published in a magazine, he moved to Mexico at the age of eighteen. In Mexico, Belkin continued his studies, concentrating mainly on creating murals. He developed a unique "portable mural" format to adapt his works to new architectural styles. Besides murals, Arnold also painted canvases, including several notable series of paintings. He spent most of his life and professional career in Mexico, except for the period from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s when he lived in New York City. His most recognized works are the murals for the Autonomous Metropolitan University in the Iztapalapa district of Mexico City. Arnold Belkin died on July 3, 1992, in Mexico City. In addition to his work as an artist, he was also a university professor, art advocate, and practiced sculpture.