To coincide with the double celebration of the Centenary of the Mexican Revolution and the Bicentenary of Mexican independence in 2010, the latest installation in the stairwell of Pallant House is a display of art kites or 'papalotes' by Francisco Toledo. Antonio Rodriguez Rivera introduces one of the most important, elusive and revered artists working in Mexico today.

From the Nahuatl word meaning butterfly, the 'papalote' or kite is an icon of Mexican culture that goes back centuries - typically made from diverse materials such as reeds, dried corn stalks or tree branches, with tails made of plastic or scraps of cloth. A staunch advocate of the cultural heritage of his native state, Oaxaca, Toledo's kites reflect his interests in the history and mythology of Mexico, featuring animals as well as human figures.

Toledo has been faithful to his Zapotec roots, an Indian culture distinguished by language, dress and traditions. He grew up with his grandmother, who had a shoe shop in Juchitan, a small, hot and dusty town in the marshes on the Pacific coast, where uniquely women rule the markets and business. Frida Kahlo dressed as a Juchitana and the actress and photographer Tina Medotti immortalised these formidable women in colourful embroidered dresses with golden necklaces, bangles and pigtails with flowers in their hair. Toledo's grandmother told him the traditional legends and tales of coastal Oaxaca in which witches, sirens, and animals. This region is rich in culture, music, dance, art and crafts. Toledo's work is imbued with these traditions and the belief that every human being also has an animal inside, called 'nahual'. The huge variety of crafts skills in Oaxaca is reflected in his work: he is painter, graphic artist, ceramicist, sculptor and illustrator.

Unfortunately in this land bursting with culture, natural beauty and resources, social economic and political injustice is rife. Toledo is also a champion of the dispossessed, and a defender of Oaxaca's immense cultural heritage. He protected Oaxaca City from horrendous commercial exploitation and created public cultural facilities – galleries, libraries, studios and workshops, museums and cultural centres, not only in Oaxaca City but also in the State and in his grandmother's home town, Juchitan.

In Toledo you find sex but never offence. I admire his work because it combines the magic of the coastal culture with tropical sensuality and eroticism. His art makes you smile and humanises all living creatures. After Rufino Tamayo (1899-1991) Toledo must be the leading Oaxacan artist.