Gilbert Durán | Japanese Tea Gardens

Gilbert Durán | Japanese Tea Gardens:

Gilbert Duran (San Antonio, Texas, 1947-2023), the entrance of the Japanse Tea Gardens (San Antonio, Texas), 2004, oil on canvas

sight: 35 x 48 in., frame: 47 x 59 in.

Provenance: Property from the Southtown San Antonio, Texas studio of noted artist Gilbert Duran

Gilbert Duran (1947-2023) was a celebrated artist first known for his watercolor renditions of South Texas wildlife and Texas ranch scenes, and later for vivid oil paintings of South Texas and Latin themes, most famously depicting Frida Kahlo holding a margarita (‘Frida Margarita’), an image which has been widely copied and displayed throughout Texas and beyond. Duran worked for many years out of his Southtown San Antonio, Texas live / work studio, Duran Arte, producing strikingly original canvases as well as sculpture and commissioned work. Many of Duran’s key works were displayed in prominent San Antonio restaurants including Rosario’s and Soluna, and have been shown at the Smithsonian Museo Alameda, and added to private collections including that of Guadalupe Rivera Marin, daughter of Kahlo’s husband Diego Rivera. Duran’s impressive legacy as one of San Antonio’s outstanding artists continues to grow as pieces begin to come to market at auction houses and galleries throughout the Southwest.