Born in Monterrey, Mexico in 1916, Armando Salas Portugal grew up in Mexico City. He moved to the US in 1932 and studied science at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) from 1935 to 1938. After returning to Mexico, he travelled to various regions and acquired a camera for the first time.

An explorer devoted to nature, Salas Portugal documented the rich and diverse Mexican landscapes from a unique perspective during his travels. From 1941 onwards, he began exhibiting his photographs widely in Mexico.

He met the architect Luis Barragán at his own photography exhibition in 1944 in Mexico City. Barragán was able to see the photography of Salas Portugal as an inexhaustible source of possibilities which built a strong bond between them. This artistic relationship lasted until Barragán’s death in 1988. Salas Portugal’s photography of Barragán’s work exemplifies how, in the hands of a great master, the power of photography can create enduring architectural icons.

His works have been shown and collected in important museums worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Tokyo Museum of Contemporary Art and the Centre Pompidou.