Gabriel CORTÉS GUTIÉRREZ

Short Biography

I was born on April 15, 1975 in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico.

There are three members in my family: my mother, my sister and I.  I´ve lived in a ranch called La Noria since I was a young child, and this is where my family comes from on my mother´s side. My childhood was very uncommon because I was born with a physical condition called Arthrogriposis, defined as a malformation of the muscles and bones. In my case, I have a complete body, but I do not have flexibility in my arms and legs, and my spinal column has had several surgeries. My hands are clumsy, and even though I can move my arms somewhat, my best functioning part is my mouth, after I learned how to use it.

Since my birth, my family has been very humble and poor. My crib was a shoe box as I have been told by family and friends. We lived in very critical circumstances and my mother could not pay all the expenses which included the medications and treatments I needed to have a better life.  She could hardly get the minimum necessary to live on.

We then went to live in the city of Los Mochis, Sinaloa.  My life went on until I had the opportunity to meet a special person.  Her name is Trude Bock.  She and a good friend, David Werner, helped me to make my life physically easier. I started going to school to study English and learn other activities.  This included painting with my mouth, which was difficult at the beginning.  I had never attempted this and little by little I started to enjoy it.

My friend David told me about professor Lidia Chaidéz, a good and nice person and also disabled from her arms.  He said she was an excellent painter and a member of the Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists. I started taking her painting workshop and she has encouraged me to continue painting. I feel very happy to be developing this talent which relaxes my mind and inspires me to become a better human being.

In September of 2008 I was accepted as a scholarship grantee by the Painters Association, and I must say that it has been the best thing that God has inspired me to be.