Rodolfo Nieto (1936–1985) was a Mexican painter whose work bridges modernist experimentation with a deeply personal symbolic language. Born in Oaxaca, Nieto studied at the Escuela Nacional de Artes Plásticas in Mexico City before moving to Paris in the early 1960s, where he became part of an international circle of artists and writers. His exposure to European modernism, including Surrealism and Art Informel, had a lasting impact on his practice, yet his work remained rooted in Mexican cultural memory and mythology.

Nieto is best known for his expressive, often enigmatic compositions populated by hybrid figures, animals, and fragmented forms. His paintings convey a sense of psychological tension, balancing delicacy with raw intensity. Through layered textures and a restrained yet evocative palette, he explored themes of transformation, identity, and the subconscious.

Despite spending much of his career abroad, Nieto maintained close ties to Mexico, drawing inspiration from its vernacular traditions and pre-Columbian imagery. His work resists easy categorization, merging figuration and abstraction in a manner that feels both intimate and universal. Today, he is regarded as an important figure in twentieth century Mexican art, whose singular vision continues to resonate across cultural boundaries.