Nahui Olin: Sexuality, Desire, and Art

Abstract

Thanks to two decades of efforts, discoveries, and research of all kinds carried out by her first biographers, later scholars risk detaching Nahui Olin from her time and context: post-revolutionary Mexico. The purpose of this analysis is to adopt an approach that remains consistent with her era and national circumstances. From a libertarian perspective, Carmen Mondragón (Nahui Olin) embraced her own vision as a guiding principle, shaping her life and art through a lens of free introspection, rejecting outdated norms that she herself transcended. In doing so, she openly challenged a society riddled with archaic and superficial prejudices. Reclaiming Nahui Olin’s role in society involves recognizing her as a forerunner of feminist theory in Mexico. To this end, this research is grounded in Judith Butler’s gender theory and her concept of performativity, allowing for a dialogue between Carmen Mondragón’s artistic proposals and the creative environment that led her to develop various artistic expressions and feminist ideologies applicable to her social context. Qualitative research plays a crucial role in this case study, focusing on the post-revolutionary period and the social environments shaped by machismo. For decades, female art was marginalized, as nationalist art was dominated by men who imposed masculine norms and distorted visions of women’s roles throughout history.