BIO
Janet Marren
Painter and Plastic Artist
1913, New York, USA – 2009, San Cristóbal, Mexico
Janet Marren was a distinguished painter and plastic artist whose work spanned decades, blending abstraction, nature, and cultural influences. Born in New York in 1913, she began her formal education in the arts at renowned institutions such as the Metropolitan Art School, the Art Students League of New York (under A.S. Baylinson), and the Master Institute at the Roerich Museum with John Graham. Her advanced studies in etching, lithography, and sculpture during the 1930s laid the foundation for a diverse and evolving career.
During the 1950s, Marren began spending extended periods in Mexico, captivated by the country’s landscapes, vibrant indigenous culture, and Pre-Columbian art. The rich symbolism and rituals of the Maya deeply influenced her artistic style. She eventually settled permanently in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, where the dramatic highland scenery and cultural life became central to her work.
Marren’s career featured numerous solo exhibitions, including major retrospectives such as Crónica Chiapaneca (1996) and Metamorphosis (1992), both held in San Cristóbal. Her innovative Lumachromes, translucent works inspired by light and nature, gained prominence in the 1960s and were showcased in installations like the illuminated ceiling commissioned in New York (1971). Her work also appeared in key venues such as the Wittenborn Gallery and Grand Central Moderns in New York.
Her participation in prestigious group exhibitions included the Whitney Annual, the Brooklyn Museum’s International Watercolor Biennials, and showcases in major institutions like the Corcoran Gallery and the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts. Throughout her career, she received recognition, including an Emergency Assistance Grant from the Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation in 1992.
Marren’s paintings are housed in permanent collections of the Brooklyn Museum, Baltimore Museum, and the Minnesota Art Institute, as well as private collections worldwide.
In her own words, Janet Marren described her art as a synthesis of life’s rhythms and forms, influenced by music, dance, and the forces of nature. She explored structure, movement, and color throughout her career, transitioning from representational work to bold abstraction. Mexico’s rich culture and landscapes remained a guiding force in her late works, where themes of transformation, ritual, and human experience emerged powerfully.
Janet Marren’s legacy lives on through her profound body of work, capturing the timeless interplay of light, form, and the spirit of place.