“Woven Histories” is a mural that was painted in a school in San Pablo La Lagoona, Guatemala on Lake Atitlan. This portion of the school was built as an outreach program for the Cosmic Convergence Festival. A workshop with the children was conducted to gather what was important to them within their community. They had decided on family, the cosmic woman, culture, and nature. With these ideas, I photographed women within the community and their textile patterns. This area of Guatemala is known for its vast and deep history of textiles and the Mayan influence that remains within their language. They learn Spanish as a second language, but all speak different Mayan dialects as their first.
Showing the transmutation of this culture, the ideas of Mayan glyphs and textiles show a connection between the cosmic women and their generations. This culture is flowing from the youngest member of their family and their paintbrush, symbolizing creativity and the function it has within these important values of family and culture. The glyphs mean the following words and ideas: god, sacred, sun, spirit, holy, fire, and woman. The mural and project are in place to serve as a creative space for the young members of this community and stand as a space of creation and inspiration. In a day where many of their cultural traditions are threatened, it is important that they are surrounded by positive reminders of their rich traditions that can turn to creative and vibrant futures.
This was painted in 2.5 days, acrylic and spray paint
Roughly 10’x11’
January 2020