ed ▁Rod ol fo ▁to ▁begin ▁his ▁studies ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁at ▁the ▁Esc uela ▁Nacional ▁de ▁P int ura , ▁Esc ult ura ▁y ▁Grab ado ▁" La ▁Es mer al da ", ▁Mexico ▁City , ▁where ▁he ▁studied ▁with ▁Carlos ▁O roz co ▁Rom ero ▁and ▁met ▁Juan ▁Sor iano , ▁who ▁introduced ▁him ▁to ▁books ▁on ▁European ▁painting . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 9 , ▁he ▁had ▁his ▁first ▁solo ▁exhibition ▁at ▁the ▁Gal er ías ▁San ▁Carlos . ▁ ▁Des iring ▁to ▁bro aden ▁his ▁art istic ▁influ ences , ▁N iet o ▁moved ▁to ▁Paris ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁Here ▁he ▁became ▁friends ▁with ▁artists ▁such ▁as ▁Jul io ▁Cort áz ar , ▁Sever o ▁To led o ▁and ▁José ▁Bian co . ▁He ▁worked ▁at ▁the ▁At el ier ▁ 1 7 ▁with ▁Stanley ▁William ▁Hay ter ▁and ▁his ▁discovery ▁of ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁Ed vard ▁M unch ▁sp ur red ▁an ▁interest ▁in ▁wood ▁eng ra ving . ▁He ▁also ▁worked ▁at ▁the ▁l ith ography ▁work shop ▁of ▁Michael ▁C asse ▁for ▁German ▁publish er ▁Man us ▁Press . ▁In ▁Paris ▁away ▁from ▁his ▁ind igen ous ▁environment , ▁N iet o ▁began ▁to ▁re - th ink ▁folk ▁art ▁from ▁his ▁native ▁O ax aca ▁mainly ▁foc using ▁on ▁the ▁bright ly ▁painted ▁hand - car ved ▁wooden ▁animals ▁known ▁as ▁ale b rij es . ▁He ▁combined ▁the ▁ale b rij es ▁with