At the University Cultural Center, one of the emblematic sites of the University of Guadalajara, a tribute was paid to the former rector of the institution, Licenciado Raúl Padilla López, with the unveiling of a statue in his honor. Raúl Padilla passed away on April 2, 2023, and according to the Attorney General's Office of the State of Jalisco, he is believed to have taken his own life.
The current general rector, Ricardo Villanueva, highlighted Raúl Padilla as one of the most privileged and collective minds in the history of UdeG. "He managed to build things like this type of theater, which are collective works because we university students at the time witnessed the hard work to complete it," Villanueva expressed.
The statue was commissioned to artist Rubén Orozco Loza, who analyzed over 2,000 photographs and audiovisual material to achieve a hyper-realistic effect after Raúl Padilla's passing. The execution of the sculpture took 14 months, dedicating one month to modeling the face and 15 days to perfecting the gaze, emphasizing this feature as essential to convey Padilla's essence.
José Trinidad Padilla López, president of the UdeG Foundation, also celebrated Raúl Padilla's legacy, recalling his contribution to the creation of the University Network. "Your effigy will remain rooted as a permanent beacon of this university community and as a reminder of the work; to honor and continue your legacy as a worthy university student, who inspired by example and under the motto of UdeG: Think and Work," he mentioned.
The statue of Raúl Padilla, two meters tall and weighing 186.5 kilograms, was unveiled next to the Santander Performing Arts Complex at the University Cultural Center. Artist Rubén Orozco Loza, a graduate of the Visual Arts program with a focus on sculpture, was responsible for creating this work in honor of Raúl Padilla's legacy.
