ANTHROLOGY (2015-2016)
The works reference the statuary from the lost Pre-Columbian civilizations. Some of the works are inspired by the Olmec colossal heads, representing powerful Olmec rulers, and sculpted before 900 BC from large basalt boulders. Some of the heads bear traces of plaster and red paint, suggesting that they were originally brightly decorated. In this series, the artist tries to imagine the colors time has completely erased. Another piece from this series is inspired by a sculpture from the Museo de Antropologia in Xalapa, Veracruz called Mictlantecuhtli or Deity of Death, considered the most prominent god of the Aztecs. The worship of Mictlantecuhtli involved ritualistic dances and even cannibalism, with human flesh being consumed in and around the temple. Another important inspiration for the series is the Mexican Holiday known as the Day of the Dead.
Mexican culture embraces death as a natural part of life, and Mexicans view death and its festive celebrations as an important part of their national identity. Death is feared but it is thought to be an inevitable part of the natural cycle, a phenomenon as logical and natural as life itself. The dead are never truly gone – they return each year.
The Aztec world, with its skeletal imagery, symbols of fertility, health and abundance alludes to ties between life and death.
