Eagle and The Monarch 2020

Paper cutout - 12”x18”

Corazon y Colibri 2019

Paper Sculpture 11”x14”

24x30 inches.  Paper Sculpture 2019

This piece is dedicated to the wedding of two of my favorite people, Jay and Meghan.

Cranes are highly symbolic birds in many cultures. In Japanese, Chinese, and Korean tradition, the crane symbolizes happiness, good fortune, and longevity because of its fabled life span of a thousand years. Senbazuru is a Japanese tradition of folding 1,000 cranes, one for each year of the crane's life. In Japanese lore, after folding the cranes, the "bird of happiness" is able to carry that person's prayers to heaven. My friend Meghan adopted this tradition for her wedding. Growing up, Meghan attended Korean Culture Camp where she was told that if you folded 1,000 paper cranes you would find true love and so she folded 1,000 cranes for her wedding day. Jay and Meghan, may you be granted longevity and eternal matrimony. Out of 1,000, two.

La Novia
24 x 30 Inches. Paper Sculpture. 2017

24 x 30 Inches. Paper Cut Out.  2016

The beautiful indigenous population known as Cora’s refer to themselves by a different name: Náayerite in honor of the tribal chief Cora Naye. Cora Naye successfully defended his tribe and maintained the Xécora Kingdom resisting Spanish incursions in 1500. When he died, his remains were preserved and venerated in the mountains of what is now known as the state of Nayarit, Mexico. The name carries the history, battles, victories and pride of both the people and the state.

The state of Nayarit is known for the dance of the machetes, where men dance clanging and tossing their machetes creating sparks in the air. The women dance through the arch of machetes with their arms held high, arched upper back and dramatic swaying of their dress . The women dress in a small flower print ranchera style outfit that reaches their ankles and use a Huichol fan instead of a rebozo or shawl typically seen in other regions.

I have a personal fascination with mythology and the vivid imagery of gods and the supernatural realm. These timeless stories passed from generation to generation stir my imagination. My dive into the Aztecs led me to a beautiful and unexpected story about the hummingbird; for which my imagination is thankful and would love to share with you.

In Aztec culture, the hummingbird is an important figure and often one of the forms of the god Huitzilopochtli. The mother of all gods and mortals conceived of Huitzilopochtli after keeping a ball of hummingbird feathers in her bosom, representing the souls of warriors that fell from the sky. Aztecs believed that fallen warriors would come back to the earth as hummingbirds; as such, Huitzilopochtli was known as the god of war, sun, and sacrifice. Images of Huitzilopochtli often depict him as a hummingbird, or as a warrior with a helmet and armor made of hummingbird feathers.

Huitzilopochtli is the god who guided the long migration of the Aztecs to the Valley of Mexico. During the journey, his image, in the form of a hummingbird, was carried upon the shoulders of priests, and at night his voice was heard giving orders. The orders were to search for Copil’s heart and build their city over it, the sign would be an eagle perched on a cactus, eating a serpent.

I hope next time you see a hummingbird that your imagination races a little. 

Referepochtli  

Corazon Sagrado are commissioned pieces by the Latino Community Foundation (LCF) serving as awards at their Annual Gala. Recipients of the award include Luis A. Miranda Jr., a long-time activist and champion for the Latino community (and the father of Lin-Manual Miranda - creator of Hamilton!) ,Geisha Williams, CEO and President of PG&E, and more Latinx community leaders.

LCF brings together the community to invests in Latino-led organizations advancing education, health and safety, civic engagement, and youth leadership in communities across California.  Learn more about LCF here http://latinocf.org/

24 x 30 Inches. Paper Cut Out.  2016

24 x 30 Inches. Paper Cut Out.  2016

Soldaderas (Women Soldiers) were also known as Adelitas, they were women in the military during the Mexican Revolution of 1910-1920. Adelitas fought valiantly alongside the men in every rank of both federal and the revolutionary forces.  They became feared and valiant soldiers and advanced through the ranks, some even becoming generals. The Mexican revolution was a men's and women's revolution against the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz (1876-1911), the concentration of wealth in the hands of the few and a fight against injustice and corruption.   

With the birth of the Chicanx movement in the 1960s, the Adelita became a popular figure representing a strong fighter who works for independence and equality.  

Resources  - Mexican Revolution 

These are an assortment of fun projects ranging from paper cut outs, charcoal/chalk, and acrylic paintings on old window frames.  

24 x 30 Inches. Paper Cut Out.  2015

This project began by chatting with many of my friends from all backgrounds, cultures, age groups, immigrants, and native born.  I asked them to identify pop culture figures, bands, actors, heroes, villains, etc that were influential in their experience growing up.  I got fascinating stories and wonderful memories that people had not accessed in ages.  

I decided to focus on developing a silhouette series that captures the memories and icons of Latinos in particular.  Although the focus is on the experiences and memories of Latinos I believe that people from all backgrounds may identify with the stories and images.  We all have more in common than we think.