Magallanes, Alejandro
At the beginning of the 1970s, more precisely on 29 December, Alejandro Magallanes saw the light of day for the first time in Mexico City. This event did not become the reason for a national holiday, but it did fill his parent’s home with joy. There is no record of any accident during his childhood, so we can assume his shaky pulse and poor coordination come from birth.
Baseball player by hobby, he spent his early years attempting to hit a home run: his effort was rewarded after seven years of trying. His drawing skills were initiated, developed, and polished as a means of survival and emotional stability, since during the first years of his life he studied in religious and private schools where one must have wit and plenty of cold blood in order to survive. It is believed that this is the period in which his taste for eschatology intensified. He received his higher education in the National School of Arts, an outstanding public and mixed institution. It is believed that this is the period in which he developed his interest for the sexual details we often see in his work.
His work has been varied and plentiful, particularly for cultural events and social causes. Those of us who study Alejandro’s work and life are convinced that all of the factors and experiences in his life have influenced his work, and that such a character will be impossible to repeat for at least 2,500 years.
Ana Bertha Madrid
Alejandro Magallanes has illustrated more than 15 children’s books, including: Cuando las ranas duermen (When Frogs Sleep; Government of Mexico City, 2000), Adivinancero (Book of Riddles; Nostra Ediciones, 2003), Jueguero (Book of Games; Nostra Ediciones, 2005) y Kikirikí (Nostra Ediciones, 2005). He has also written two books: Esto no es (This Is Not It; Editorial SM, 2005) and Ven hada (Come Here, Fairy; Editorial SM, 2006). Along with Leonel Sagahón he founded La Maquina del Tiempo (Time Machine) in 1996, a studio dedicated to developing graphic communication projects. His posters have been awarded in many countries. To this day he has created over 300, which have been exhibited in Poland, Canada, France, Holland, Argentina, Czech Republic, Spain, Mexico, and many other places. He belongs to the collectives El Cartel de Medellín, La Corriente Eléctrica, and Fuera de Registro. Since 2004 he is a member of AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale).