Roger von Gunten, a Swiss-born Mexican painter and artist, died on February 18, 2026, at age 92.
Born in Zurich in 1933, he studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule under Johannes Itten and held his first solo show in Switzerland in 1956. He came to Mexico in 1957 and became part of the Breakaway Generation that emerged after World War II and moved away from Mexican muralism.
Over a career that lasted from 1956 to 2026, von Gunten took part in more than 200 national and international exhibitions, was the subject of a 1978 essay by Jomí García Ascot, and received Mexico’s 2014 Fine Art Medal.
Roger von Gunten (29 March 1933 – 18 February 2026) was a Swiss-born Mexican artist and sculptor. He was the subject of a 1978 essay by Jomí García Ascot and was part of the Breakaway Generation which emerged after World War II ending the Mexican Muralist era. For over a decade, he was involved in a legal battle over who defines what is art. He participated in over 200 national and international art exhibitions and won the 2014 Fine Art Medal from Mexico.