San Francisco City College
Ocean Avenue Campus
Frida Kahlo Garden
The giant Olmec head, “El Rey,” San Lorenzo #1 was carved by Ignacio Perez Solano, also know as “il Maestro.” The head is an accurate reproduction of the original piece from San Lorenzo in Veracruz, Mexico. The 3,000 year old original basalt head is believed to be a portrait of a ruler from this ancient civilization. The stone originated some 50 miles from where the statue was discovered.
The piece was given to City College of San Francisco in 2004 by then Vera Cruz Governor Miguel Alemán Velazco in honor of the new Pan American Center at City College. It is now the centerpiece of the proposed Frida Kahlo Garden next to the Diego Rivera Theater. Placing Olmec replicas in major cities had been a personal endeavor of Governor Aleman. These heads, of enormous size, demonstrate the power, scale and majesty of the Olmec culture, which was centered in the State of Veracruz. At the presentation the governor closed his remarks with wry humor. He mentioned that in November his term of office was up and therefore the presentation had to be in October. Then he said, you may “lose your heart in San Francisco, but never the head.”