Today we are importing new beads for artists like Santos to work with.  We like to think of it as offering people a new look at old traditions.  Folk art as well as indigenous art cannot remain stagnant.  Cultures evolve and change but this does not neccessarily detract from ones core beliefs.  It is our sincere hope that these new innovations will breath new life into this ancient art form and allow the Huichol to express their beliefs in a whole new way that will attract more people to appreciate not only their art but more importantly their culture.

For most in Western civilization the whole adoration of skulls and skeletons may seem a bit odd but it actually stems from pragmatism and makes perfect sense.  Ones soul last for ever and when the flesh is gone all that is left is ones bones hence the soul is thought to reside in the bones.  During the conquest the Spanish tried to convert the indigenous and tought them all about the holy trinity and angels.  Shaman scratched their heads because they could converse with their god’s but couldn’t see the Spanish angels the conquistadors spoke of.

Today, over 500 years after the ‘Conquest’ of Mexico the Day of the Dead and its traditions are very much alive in Mexico.  In the comming weeks we will feature a number of pieces of contemporary folk art that show the day of the dead is still used today to reflect ones ancient beliefs in today’s modern world.

Mario Moreno is the sone of Saulo Moreno one of the grandmasters of the day of the dead paper mache figures.  His whimsical sculptures bring skeletons back to life.  Day of the dead in Mexico is a time for reflection, to remember loved ones who have passed on.  We remember the good times, laugh about adventure and expirences and so it is not a morbid ceremony of death but rather a way of celebrating life.

The origins of the Purepecha is just one of the many mysteries surrounding this ancient tribe.  Linguistically they have no relatives, but have been very successful in maintaining their dialect; today most kids are sent to school to learn Spanish as it is not spoken in the home.  The Aztec called the Purepecha humming birds, it is still a recurring theme in their folk art today.

Luis Ruiz Ramirez from Las Guyabas is one of very few artists that have been able to blend the Huicholes ceremonial art with todays commercial bead art.  Every piece is a true prayer to their gods, the paper flowers represent the beauty of nature, the quartz rocks are their ancestors, coins are a monatary sacrifice used as offerings to the gods, deer hair is used for abundance so the Huichol will have food in their homes and the cotton or sheeps wool will bring the clouds that make it rain.

Neikame has done it again, forever pushing the limits of his cultures traditional art he has come up with another masterpiece that will undoubtably knock your socks off.  An almost perfect combinations of form and color combine to bring a level of surrealism that few will ever come close to copying.