Tiznados de Morelos

This print is handmade using professional quality tools and materials. Printed from a hand-carved linoleum block, inked, and printed on Bristol paper 100lb.

Some minor variations in ink consistency and texture may occur from print to print.
Prints are titled, numbered, and hand signed by the artist.

Limited edition of 9

Dimensions:
Paper 22" X 16"
Print 18" X 12"

Sold unframed and unmounted.

Prints will be carefully packaged, wrapped inside acid-free paper and sent in a mailing tube.

Narrative:

On September 19, 2017, an earthquake struck Mexico and left Mexico in ruins. Many lives were lost, and people were left in complete shock due to this natural disaster.
My mother is from a small pueblo, Zacatepec Morelos, about 2 hours south of Mexico City. When she saw the news on TV of the temblor, I could tell she was worried for her family, I could see her distress in her eyes, and I could perceive her sadness in her silence. Fortunately, everyone was ok, but she was sad to find out that the adobe house she once grew up in had been highly damaged and had to be demolished because it was no longer habitable.

I decided to make a piece of art for her. I wanted to bring her good memories from the place that saw her grow, nurtured her, and once saw her depart in search of “el sueño americano.”

Growing up in Zacatepec, Morelos, seeing the trucks full of caña pass by was a daily event. As it also was to see the señores y las señoras returning home with their faces llenas de tizne from an all-day work from the fields of burning cañas.
I decided to draw a man with a machete because living in Zacatepec, who hasn’t seen this man or woman working in the field? This man or woman can be your uncle, brother, father, or even your abuelo; nevertheless, it can also be your tia, tu hermana, tu propia madre o tu abuela.

As I carved the pieces out to sculpt my memories onto the linoleum, I opened the door to the past. A door opened, unraveling memories of when I was a child and lived in Morelos. Working on this piece is what reconnected me to my roots, but at the same time, it raised many questions about several events that happened during our time living in Morelos. I was afraid to ask questions, but I knew I needed to know. I started to have long conversations with my mother, and my memories started coming back, the good and the bad events.

As I finished this piece, I realized how much the #terremoto had not only shaken Mexico and my mother but how it had shaken me too. This print was my first linoleum piece, my first carving, and my first step towards awakening, healing, and rebirth.