Sofia Bassi
1913-1997

The Mexican surrealist painter Sofia Bassi was born Sofia Celorio in Mendoza, in the state of Veracruz, Mexico in 1913. Bassi did not begin painting until 1964 and was self-taught. Her work is classified as surrealist.

She was invited to participate in an exhibition in Mexico City of self-portraits at the Museo de Arte Moderno that was an homage to Andre Breton. She also participated in another exhibition at the Mueso de Arte Moderno in 1967, Bassi was featured along with Frida Kahlo and 7 other prominent painters of the Mexican school including Maria Izquierdo, Remedios Varo and Leonora Carrington.

Her work has been exhibited in numerous museums including el Museo Liceo Selma Lagerloff in Stockholm, the Museum of Modern Art in Tel Aviv, and el Museo de Guadalajara. She had four solo exhibitions at the Salon de Plastica Mexicana.
She married the industrialist Bassi. In 1968 she was convicted of murdering her son-in-law, the Italian count Cesare d'Aquarone, in Acapulco. She was imprisoned for 11 years. While in prison, she was allowed visitations from her family and also to continue her painting.

Sofía Bassi was born in Camerino Mendoza, Veracrus in 1913. He started painting in 1964. Bassi's painting was classified as surreal, although some critics have called "magic impressionism". He painted a mural with Alberto Gironella, Jose Luis Cuevas, Rafael Coronel and Francisco Corzas. Bassi found that his thought could have a better channel through painting and devoted himself to it until his death in 1998 (possibly 1997) in Cuidad de Mexico. His paintings are characterized by being loaded with ideology and the constant search for a magical reality.