Abel Quezada

Mexican, 1920-1991

Abel Quezada was a Mexican cartoonist, illustrator, painter, and writer recognized for his witty commentary on political and social life in mid-20th-century Mexico. Born in Monterrey, he moved to Mexico City in 1936 and by the 1940s began making satirical comics, combining humor and irony to dissect public sentiment. He eventually earned the acclaim as one of Mexico’s leading political cartoonists. 

Quezada lived in New York in the late 1940s and maintained an international practice into the 1980s. His illustrations appeared in major U.S. publications, including multiple covers for The New Yorker and The New York Times Magazine. From the 1960s he expanded into painting, exhibiting first at the Museo de Arte Moderno in Mexico City. His portraits, city scenes, and landscapes from Mexico, New York, and London reflect the same critical insight found in his cartoons. 

Quezada’s artistry combined political critique and social observation making him a distinctively versatile figure in Mexican and international visual culture.