Day of the Dead Series
Day of the Dead series is an in depth look at my Mexican heritage. I love being able to continue this exciting series of Chicano art, I've left it open for more paintings to be added. I grew up in Europe with only the language of my culture to keep me connected. I've finally made it close to my culture goegraphically which has allowed me to embrace and discover more of it. Click on each painting to see if its available.
Referenced from my blog post dated 10/09/2019
"It's that time of the year again. The best time of the year for many! Many of us that enjoy dressing up in weird costumes and garments most of the year feel accepted in October. Especially those of us that gravitate to the darker aesthetic like Dia De Los Muertos. As an artist from Mexico I identify very much with this cultural phenomenon which has begun to spread in popularity over the last few years. Yet until the movie Coco came out many people didn't know much about it beyond the face painting and decor that comes with celebrating Dia De Los Muertos. As an artist I see many using that as a selling point to push more sales. Every where from retail stores and individual artists alike. So why jump on the train and become another Dia De Los Muertos Artist?
The roots of Dia De Los Muertos art runs very deep in Central America culture dating all the way back to the Aztecs as a way to honor the dead, "The roots of the Day of the Dead, celebrated in contemporary Mexico and among those of Mexican heritage in the United States and around the world, go back some 3,000 years, to the rituals honoring the dead in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. The Aztecs and other Nahua people living in what is now central Mexico held a cyclical view of the universe, and saw death as an integral, ever-present part of life ", (History.com). As much of that culture become publicized across media like movies, music, and television shows the world begins to adopt these celebrations as their own. Did you know that in Germany they are beginning to celebrate Thanksgiving? Trust me its not because they had a Mayflower land in Frankfurt. So as artists it's important that we take on new perspectives and dig into other cultures.
I didn't grow up in Mexican culture. I grew up in Europe so when I first moved to the states at the age of 18 I knew little to nothing about Dia De Los Muertos art or the celebration in general. Once I became an artist I felt it was important for me to learn and discover that part of my heritage. So that drove me to create a series that explores the history of Dia De Los Muertos and express my artistic vision."