Fearless Women, Champions Of Change: Aura Moreno, The Rewards For Being Open To Change…

By Carolina de la Cajiga

Aura Moreno came to San Miguel de Allende for a short visit but ended up staying.

“Seeing San Miguel through the eyes of a tourist and those of a resident are two very different things. Since 2020, I’ve been wandering around town calmly—chatting with the lady in the parking lot, the neighbor at a concert, or anyone I meet along the way. My life here is full of unexpected surprises and stories. One day I realized San Miguel had become my home, and my life had taken an unforeseen path,” Aura recounts with a smile.

“I try to keep my days organized, but when something unexpected catches my attention, I’m open to it. A movie, a concert, a walk, sports? Of course! I also make time for volunteering. I’m part of Blanquet Babes, where we crochet squares and join them to make blankets for children at Casita Linda. It’s important for me to give back and help in some way where I live.”

For almost forty-five years, Aura Moreno has been a professional visual artist. “Artists and creators remain so until the end—there’s no such thing as retirement for us,” she says. “I’m proud to have devoted my life to painting with all my heart and soul—and to have raised my two children with my income. When I studied textile design at the Universidad Iberoamericana and later completed a master’s in Modern and Contemporary Art at the Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, I never imagined all that I would accomplish. Though, it hasn’t all been triumphs—I’ve had difficult moments—but in the end, I’ve come out on top.”

Aura’s work reflects her imaginative mind and restless spirit. She has never allowed herself to be pigeonholed into specific themes or techniques. Experimentation—and the emotion of the moment—drive her creative process. She maintains herself an independent and free creator. “I have a special fondness for engraving and art printing,” she says. “It’s a complex technique that holds the surprise of discovering the image only when the paper is lifted from the plate.” For thirty years, Aura taught painting at the Tecnológico de Monterrey in Querétaro, and printing in her studio. She recalls a painting of an angel she made during a very sad time in her life—its wings were pieces of torn paper. For a long time, she didn’t put it up for sale because of its special meaning. “Until one day,” she says with a wink, “it flew away from my house.”

Aura has participated in forty-five solo exhibitions and a hundred and ten group shows—milestones she celebrates with pride. She is now preparing what will be the most important exhibition of her career: the Museum of Contemporary Art in Querétaro (MACQ) has invited her to hold a solo show in 2026.

“My goal for this exhibition is to create works that evoke peace while questioning fragility and memory. It’s a great challenge that keeps me joyfully researching and producing.” Sewing and embroidery will also be part of the exhibit. Her series Universos Devocionales (Devotional Universes) deconstructs clothing and transforms it into collages with beads and milagros—small metallic representations of body parts sold in churches as offerings to God. “When I sew, I invoke constellations and prayers that fit into that universe.”

When Aura is not in front of her easel, she enjoys cooking healthy food. “I’m drawn to the ‘poor man’s food’ of different countries—Hungarian goulash, Italian zuppa, and Scottish broth. I discovered this last one during two artist residencies in Berwick-upon-Tweed, on the border between Scotland and England. It was a great opportunity to make art and be close to my children who live in those places.”

Unexpected adventures are part of Aura’s life. In 1999, she climbed Iztaccíhuatl, joining an expedition led by renowned climber Ricardo Torres Nava. “It was an experience that showed me how strong I am. Starting the climb in silence—hearing only our footsteps and breathing—helped me connect with myself, my past, and what I wanted to achieve. My body resisted at first, but my willpower was stronger. At no point did I think of abandoning the group. When I reached the summit, I felt a special joy—I didn’t know whether to laugh, scream, or cry for having reached that goal and being so close to the sky."