Javier Marín is a Mexican sculptor. During his artistic beginnings he used only clay, but shortly after, he began incorporating​ bronze and experimenting with new materials.  Polyester resin mixed with various organic ingredients like tobacco, soil, amaranth seeds, rose petals and dry meat fibers became familiar aspects of his work. 

His sculptures are a meditation on the condition of man. He creates human figures that are extremely dynamic and majestic, yet at the same time look pained and intensely emotional. With incredible mastery and intuitive talent, Marín molds and manipulates forms to indicate the fragility and deterioration of the human body and flesh, and emphasizes character and emotion through details, textured surfaces, and the interplay of light and shadow.

Marín represents man bared and wounded. In stressing his portraits rough physicality and the scars they assume, the sculptor comments on their personal past, endeavors and inner struggles. He reminds us that our body is a record of every imprint of sorrow or joy from our life experiences. The sculptor’s extraordinary command of technique is evident in the complex surfaces he molds. 

His mastery of chiaroscuro is noticeable in the tousled wigs and beards, where his deep carving creates dramatic light and shade effects. By deliberately leaving some surfaces “unworked,” Marín adds tension to his portraits and further emphasizes the physical deterioration and stressed emotional state of his subjects. It is the magnificent play of opposites and contradictions that make his sculptures so unique and powerful.

Born in Mexico in 1962, Marín studied at the Escuela Nacional de Artes Plásticas of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in Mexico City. He represented Mexico in the 50th Venice Biennale and has exhibited extensively throughout Mexico and internationally. His work has been shown in solo exhibitions at the Universidad La Salle, Mexico City; Galería Tornabuoni, Pietrasanta, Versilia; Espace Pierre Cardin, Paris; Espace Bellevue, Biarritz, France; among others. His work is in numerous museum collections worldwide. Marín currently lives and works in Mexico.