COURTESY PHOTOGRAPH: Process/Miguel Dimayuga
Eduardo Terrazas
My journey into the amazing world of Eduardo Terrazas began in 2002. From our first encounter, it became apparent that Terrazas’ work is an exploration of unity, a defiance of the fear associated with pooling knowledge together—something so urgent and important for our times. Terrazas’ journey began as an architect at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. His initiation into the world of merging diverse elements took its first steps with the creation of a Japanese-style house for Barbara Hutton. This experience highlighted that the blend of the local and the international was inherently part of his DNA, laying the groundwork for his seminal art practice.
Furthering his artistic journey, Terrazas pursued a Master’s Degree in Architecture at Cornell University. The pivotal moment was as soon as he arrived in Ithaca, where he encountered the works of Pop Artists like Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns and “The Bed” by Rauschenberg, shifting his paradigm, offering a fresh perspective on his artistic vision.
When he finished his studies, he continued his pilgrimage to Rome during the vibrant and dynamic 60s, which led him to an encounter with the eminent Mexican curator Fernando Gamboa, who invited Terrazas to work in Leningrad at the Hermitage Museum for the exhibition “Masterpieces of Mexican Art” which consisted of pre-Hispanic, colonial and modern art and a space filled with Mexican crafts. And for him, this was truly a revelation. This journey allowed him to gain a deeper understanding of Mexico, a fascinating exploration that navigated the realms of the local, the international, and the cosmopolitan.
The next turn in Terrazas’ journey was orchestrated by Pedro Ramirez Vasquez, inviting him to build his architectural project for the Mexican Pavilion at the New York World Fair in 1964-1965. During his stay in New York, he became a professor of architecture in Columbia University and worked with the designer George Nelson. Ramirez Vasquez summoned him back to Mexico to work on the Environmental Olympic Design Project. This marked the genesis of working on a monumental scale—on a scale of a city, and of a country. Designing logos, public projects, and citywide signage—a Mayakovsky-esque vision where cities became palettes, and streets became brushes.
Evolving over the years, Terrazas refined his technique, creating the «Possibilities of a Structure» series, with sub-series such as «Cosmos,» «Diagonals,» «Grid,» and «Tablas.» Wool yarn on a wooden board unifies all works —an ode to the sometimes-forgotten unity of craft and artistic expression. Terrazas once told me that people need to think with their hands. The meticulous process of delicately positioning threads in his yarn paintings demands a focused and absorbed approach. This intricate act becomes a form of meditation, highlighting the significance of craftsmanship in soothing our minds and encouraging thoughtful engagement through tactile exploration.
The origin of wool yarn paintings can be traced back to the Huichol Indian community, who, one could say, were his teachers in this ancestral technique. Over the Campeche bee wax, he traces the geometry, blurring the lines between two and three dimensionality, illuminated by threads that act as both lines and brushes. Da Vinci’s influence echoes throughout Terrazas’ work, with infinite possibilities emanating from a singular point—the original structural possibility.
Hans Ulrich Obrist
