Francisco Toledo was considered one of the most important contemporary painters and sculptors in Mexico. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador praised him as a "great painter and outstanding cultural promoter". He also praised Toledo's commitment to conservation and Mexican traditions.
The native of Oaxaca in the south of the country Toledo belonged to the people of the Zapotecs and was a student of the also coming from Oaxaca painter Rufino Tamayo (1899-1991). His works are characterized by animal pictures and mythological figures. He also grappled artistically with the violence in the Latin American country, about 2015 in a "Duelo" (mourning) titled exhibition in Mexico City.
Central to Toledo's work was the Zapotec culture. He was instrumental in creating structures to preserve the legacy of Oaxaca. With the initiative Pro-OAX he campaigned for commercial enterprises to displace historic sites. For his social and political commitment Toledo was awarded in 2005 with the Alternative Nobel Prize (Right Livelihood Award).
A few years ago, the artist donated a museum to his homeland. The Oaxaca Institute of Graphic Arts houses more than 125,000 objects, the 2015 National Cultural Council (Conaculta) said. The donation included two houses and a library with pictures, videos and tape recordings.
For several months he has been ill, Toledo said in media reports. As his daughter Natalia announced on Thursday evening (local time), the painter and sculptor has now died at the age of 79 years.