SHENKMAN ART CENTRE - Ottawa

Mexican Embassy in Canada - Art Exhibition

Aug. 18 - Sep. 18, 2022

 

“ON THE CANYON”

 This painting is an artistic composition of the main characteristics of the city of Guanajuato, Mexico. Guanajuato is like no other city in Mexico. It is built on a Canyon, where the colourful houses, churches and buildings are constructed on the stepped, slanted sides. The landscape is roughed and hilly, where green cactuses and fleshy “nopales” easily grow, contrasting with the earthy tones of the sandy paths and cliffs. 

The houses in this composition are painted their “real” colours.

“RADIANTS”

Sunflower, symbol of the solar deity of the Aztecs, the Otomi, and the Incas. It is believed to have been domesticated in Mexico around 2600 BC. When the flowers are young, they tend to turn their heads from east to west, giving the impression of following the sun, therefore, called “sunflower”. Once the flower matures, their heavy head faces only east. 

They are not only tall and beautiful, but they are also very profitable. Their flower head produces a great number of tasty seeds, consumed by humans, birds and other animals. 

They are also planted in great amounts to produce sunflower oiI grew up surrounded by Sunflowers, I love them and decided to paint them in full splendour.

“ENERGY”

Peña de Bernal, México. 

At 433 meters high, this Monolith is considered to be one of the three tallest in the world. 

The rock was formed from a volcano that exhausted its activity. It formed about 8.7 million years ago. It is believed that the rock has a special type of energy. In the spring, people from all over the world, all dressed in white, gather gathered around the Peña during the Spring Equinox Festival, receiving this energy.

“AT CHICHEN ITZA”

Gran Juego de Pelota, Maya culture, 900 AC.

The painting depicts one of the temples at the end of the Ball Game court in Chichen Itza. 

The ball court is 30 X 120 meters, considered to be one of the biggest in Mesoamerica. 

The Ball Game was played all over Mexico, sometimes, resulting in the dead of the losing team. The two court temples exhibit some interesting acoustics. A conversation on one end, can be heard in the other temple, 135 meters away