Rick Bayless is chef of Frontera Grill and Topolobampo in Chicago, creator of Frontera gourmet foods, cookbook author and host of Mexico - One Plate at a Time.
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Art Collection: Roman Andrade Llagunoprint-friendly versionRomán Andrade Llaguno (b. 1959)  Roman Andrade is one of Oaxaca’s most recognized painters. His images of everyday life are infused with surreal colors, characters and events. The dreamlike scenes he creates call to mind far off and magical places that may only exist in a child’s mind or in the artist’s memories. The families that come to life on his canvas or amate paper, celebrate the traditional Oaxacan family and, at the same time, the artist’s own family life with his wife and three children. Much of what he depicts is autobiographical.Both of the Andrade paintings at Frontera Grill exemplify the artist’s unique painting style. Saturated with intense colors, the members of the family are united in simple, everyday activities. It is very common in Mexico to purchase late night snacks from a street vendor and eat well into the night. This simple custom is just one of the many ways in which Mexican people share the news of the day, socialize or court one another.  The painting entitled Iguana is Eaten in This House is a proud regional and cultural declaration of what it means to be from Oaxaca. The family bond in this work is centered around the mother and her kitchen table. The iguana and the mother’s exposed heart become symbols of the intense bonds of love and pride shared by so many Oaxacan families. With their rich history and profound roots going back thousands of years, it is quite common for Oaxaqueños to see themselves and their legacy as part of something much bigger than the present generation.
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