Existing comment:
Nopal
2017
abaca pulp, clay, alpaca, flax, succulents, iron, horsehair, cochineal (live and dead), copper, gold, and human hair
Courtesy Volume Gallery, Chicago
Nopal is a common name in Mexican Spanish for prickly pear cactus pads. Here, Aguiñiga's nopal are made from clay bodies embedded with copper, abaca pulp, insects, and even hair taken from the artist's daughter and sisters. Digging into her family's origins, Aguiñiga became fascinated with Mesoamerican history and the Mayan creation myth of Popol Vuh. This sacred text, describing the interconnectedness of earth, plant, animal, and human, provided a framework for Nopal and Aguiñiga's explorations into her own complex cultural identity. |