I usually don’t go to La Zona Rosa in Mexico City anymore because I now have a café downstairs in the building I live in. But today, I had business near La Zona Rosa (Pink Zone) so as I walked to my favorite coffee place in la Zona, I see artist setting their works up to sell. Art work I have seen before, nothing grabbing my attention until I saw Fabiola García Guerrero’s work. Fabiola’s had several colored pieces on Day of the Dead: acuarela y estilógrafo.
I spoke to Fabiola, a charming young lady. Turns out she had just started selling her works in La Zona Rosa. Fabiola said it was by chance they were setting up on Friday, because the government only lets them sell on Saturday’s and Sunday’s – not sure if you can find Fabiola every Friday: but it is a safe bet you will on Saturday and Sunday afternoons she said.
I most like the first piece titled ¡ y Siempre Llegaron!!!, this is because if you have ever seen a real Dead of the Dead altar you will know that Fabiola has the detail to the altar down 100%, from the paper cut outs, to the bread of the dead, all exact. I love the color too, on both of them. The second piece I like the title, “la conquista,” the conquest, the meeting of the Spaniards and the Aztecs. Though I know the history of the battles between the Aztecs and the Spaniards, it is fun and creative to see such a historical event as a Day of the Dead illustration.
I most enjoyed my conversation with Fabiola and the one thing I most admired about her, was her enthusiasm as she spoke about her art. When so many young Mexican artist want to get away from their heritage, Fabiola embraces it.
I got Fabiola’s e-mail and I gave her mine, asking that she please stay in touch, because I am sure the readers of this blog would like to keep up with her progress. I know I do - and I also wish to continue buying her creative works: I couldn’t help myself — I already bought the two prints pictured below – LOVE THEM.
¡ y Siempre Llegaron!!!
la conquista
The other day I went to Bazar Fusion at Parque Mexico in Mexico City’s Col. Condesa. And there I found my lamp, a lamp made from a bird cage for my balcony. I love my bird cage lamp that was designed by Lubel, a company of female visual art designers living in Mexico City.
Here is a picture of my lamp. Click the picture for a slide show view of my new lamp in my home:
There is always something to see while running around this big city. Here are some of my gems for the week.
At Arena Coliseo in El Centro Historico I ran into this teenage boy selling clay Lucha Libre wrestler dolls he had made. They were such detailed and thought this guy had put a lot of work into each one of the finger sized sculptures. As I arrived at the kids stand, there was a man trying to bring the prize down on the items which were only $5.00 pesos each, which is like 40 cents. I couldn’t believe someone would try to bring down the prize of something that was already cheap. I stood there waiting for the old man and his son to leave – they finally did. I looked at the tiny Lucha Libre figures and loved them. They young man said, please buy one or two, “I have not sold anything all day.” Well I bought them all! Below are pics of my purchase.
Then while at the Mercado Merced I saw this strange store. Strange is in how this store was advertising the products they are selling: Just stick what you are selling on the outside of the building. No need to walk into the store to look around – just stand outside! LOL.
And then the Olimpia Gym next to Garibaldi Plaza, the plaza where all the Mariachis are in Centro Historico. I thought this was an abandoned building because the outside looked so bad and it was always locked up as I walked by during the afternoons. One evening like 10:30 PM I passed by the place and it was open! The iron gates were pulled up and I could hear the clings of weight lifting. Tough I didn’t walk up the stairs, I took these pics, something I found to be MexiKitsch. Yea a word I made up – Mexican Kitsch: LOL.
I love taking walks in Mexico City - you don’t need a television.
I like living in México City’s Col. Santa Maria la Ribera and meeting the various people that live in this not so fashionable bohemian neighborhood.
The other day I posted a note about on one of Col. Santa Maria la Ribera’s legendary folk artist passing away – a tribute toHumberto Martinez. Well that posting generated a message from an artist living in Col. Santa Maria: Josue Misael Rodriguez Lopez.
Misael said he had been living in Col. Santa Maria for 23 years and would welcome the opportunity to be featured on my FaceBook page, Col. Santa Maria la Ribera. So off I went to visit Misael who lives in an apartment building on calle Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz – love that name!
The moment I met Misael I was surprised he was so young, I guess that is because he had an older picture on his FaceBook profile, which happened to be Siqueiros. So when Misael said he had lived in Col. Santa Maria for 23 years, he meant his whole life.
In meeting Misael you could get a sense he was serious, didn’t seem to smile much, though he was revealing about his artist endeavors. Misael lives with his family, people whom he introduced me too. Though the apartment didn’t have much room for a studio to paint, this doesn’t keep Misael from doing what he loves best – art. Misael has several of his paintings in his home – advantages of knowing how to paint.
Misael has his art studio in a back area patio, where it is quite, has plenty of light and place he can reflect. Misael discussed how being an artist is what he always wanted to do, knowing since he was 13 that he was going to be an artist – this is how he would live and this is how he would die, he said.
I don’t need to describe Misael’s work, I will let the pictures and video (in Spanish) do that on its own.
Misael, a talented up and coming artist living in Col. Santa Maria la Ribera.
click pic above of Misael for a slide show
Día de la Candelaria or dressing Niño Jesus as I call it, is celebrated on February 2nd of each year. I took pictures of a market in Mexico City’s Centro Historico District.
click picture of photo below for a slide show
Here is some information I got from the Internet, About.com – Mexico Travel:
Candlemas in Mexico:
Día de la Candelaria, or Candlemas, is celebrated on February 2nd, throughout Mexico. It is mainly a religious and family celebration, but in some places, such as Tlacotalpan, Veracruz, it is a major fiesta with bullfights and parades. Día de la Candelaria, like many other Mexican celebrations, represents a fusion of pre-Hispanic traditions and Catholic beliefs.
February 2nd marks the mid-way point between the winter solstice and spring equinox and has long been thought to be a marker or predictor of the weather to come, which is why it is also celebrated as Groundhog Day. In many places it is traditionally a time to prepare the earth for spring planting.
February 2nd also falls forty days after Christmas, and is celebrated by Catholics as the “Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin” or as the “Presentation of the Lord.” According to Jewish law a woman was considered unclean for 40 days after giving birth so it was customary to bring a baby to the temple after that period of time had passed. So Jesus would have been taken to the temple on February second.
In Mexico this holiday is celebrated as Día de la Candelaria, known as Candlemas in English, because candles were brought to the church to be blessed.
In Mexico Día de la Candelaria is a follow-up to the festivities of Kings Day on January 6th, when children receive gifts and families and friends break bread together, specifically Rosca de Reyes, a special sweet bread with figurines hidden inside. The person (or people) who received the figurines on Kings Day are supposed to host the party on Candlemas Day. Tamales are the food of choice.
Another important custom in Mexico, particularly in areas where traditions run strong, is for families to own an image of the Christ child, a niño Dios. At times a godparent is chosen for the niño Dios, who is then responsible for hosting various celebrations between Christmas and Candlemas. First, on Christmas eve the niño Dios is placed in the Nativity scene, on January 6th, King’s Day, the child is brought presents from the Magi, and on February 2nd, the child is dressed in fine clothes and presented in the church. Click here for a slide show of pictures of Niño Dios that I took.
