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Create to strengthen ties with dad

By A. Osuna

The Nahualli Creative Marathon drawing contest, held at the end of April this year, became the starting point for many amateur artists, as well as a new showcase for emerging and professional artists. With great talents and outstanding works, the winners and honorable mentions were also chosen for giving us an insight into the depths of their art and for their dedication to creating fifteen works throughout the Creative Marathon.

In the “Amateurs” category, we highlight the participant Jorge Iván Saldaña with an Honorable Mention. Through his drawings created for the Marathon, Jorge Iván manifested a constant duality between reality and fantasy, order and chaos, the earthly and the celestial. But he, as a dad, was also able to turn a drawing contest into the perfect opportunity to spend more time with his children.

“It was a surprise to find out about the Marathon; I showed it to my children and the three of us decided to participate together. I have ten-year-old twins, and they liked the idea so much that mainly they motivated me to participate. We started doing this exercise, of which what caught my attention the most, was that we should not talk about the pandemic … ”

In his work, Jorge Iván creates dichotomies that refer to the struggle that man faces during the transformation process.

Before the Marathon, Jorge Iván and his children adopted the habit of drawing an hour daily. “It is a marathon, so we had to prepare ourselves; seven days before, we would put jazz music on the computer and from 7 to 8 we would draw the three of us. Then on Monday the marathon started and we were already warm for the activity ”, says the dad of the twins..

Through the ideas that his work transmits; Jorge Iván suggests a reflection on the existential uncertainty of the human being in the world that he himself has created and that perceives it through conscience, which intends to interpret it according to his experiences, these being a component of his grasp of the reality.

“The main thing is that [the habit of drawing] stayed as something for us, it became something very established at home. We are grateful from the heart, it was a very pleasant experience not only of fifteen days -in addition to the seven days of preparation-, the tradition has already stayed at home: the hour of drawing. For me, it is a prize and a gift to share this with my children and with you …

Fatherhood is many things, it manifests itself in different ways and contains in itself a wide range of shades of colors. For Jorge Iván, the most intimate fatherhood managed to manifest itself through art, as a pretext to strengthen ties with his children. Now, drawing with his children every day has become the best way to create new memories and traditions, which, hopefully, will remain for many years to come.

Memory

Motherhood as a starting point, as an origin and destination

By A. Osuna

Gráfica Melva

This month, we celebrate motherhood and those who from the deepest roots have become the guides of our walk through life: mothers.

Melva Medina herself, director and artist of Galería Nahualli, as mother of Meztli and Citlalli is at the same time a window towards the purest concept of motherhood and what it represents in her life as a sculptor and multidisciplinary artist.

Described by herself as a great teaching of life, motherhood was very intense for Melva, and this is reflected in many of her works. “When one conceives to give birth to a baby, one is filled with energy, there is a different flow of energy. You feel it, you carry it and you live differently. I always try to represent that energy flow in my works … ”.

In many of Melva’s works pieces are seen completely cut in half as part of her discourse of considering light as an elemental aspect in the sculpture itself.

For Melva, light, emptiness and everything that is ethereal, represents the most important part. In her works, she refers to the feeling of “doing everything” for that human being that comes.

Eroticism blends with science and feelings, a fusion between energy and emotions emerges around the generation of new life.

“Eroticism is very important, the seed agreement as a source and starting point, these phallic elements as a point from here to life, the moment of giving that light, that spark, that attraction, chemistry. All that is science, it is art, it is nature and all that I have impregnated. The roots with the Earth. We are part of it, we are going to give to it. I think a lot about this cycle of life and death, which is something very just: it gives you so much, that you have to give it back… ”.

Melva’s work tells us of a symbolism where women have the leading role, whether as mother, daughter, and being contained in a complex and beautiful existence, the woman finds herself immersed in a surreal and dreamlike world.

In her sculpture, Melva emphasizes the importance of the invisible, intangible energy symbol; of space in form, as a fundamental element. Female eroticism, her identity in mesticism and her spirituality, the ethereal and the mystical, function as a repeated theme in her creations.

“Heaven cries and gives its sacred liquids to drink to the earth. She guards herself with the eternal desire to feel his touch. Her heart bursts into fruitfulness and generously manifests itself by sprouting and giving, nurturing those who will later nourish her… ”.

Creative Process

Graphic adventure of Abel Vázquez on LP discs.

By Melva Medina

Grinding, cutting, depressing volumes and polishing planes. Digging, blocking, playing with lines, making textures. Imagining, shaping its own dreams and legends.

Putting the praxis of genius on that small round surface, which allowed him with nobility, to be matter and protagonist of his madness …

During the 80’s, the compact disc appeared as a great novelty due to its sound and fidelity, replacing the great LP discs, which were left in oblivion, littered and discarded as garbage.

Abel Vázquez, during the 90’s, waiting for the arrival of his little daughter and living the first years of his first daughter, finds in the acetates of LP discs, ideal matrices for the production of pieces of graphic work in the technique of the gravure and its subsequent printing using the experience of roll up.

Melva and Abel previously had already experimented in the engraving workshop on zinc and iron plates, intervening with varnishes and acids, inking with rollers of different hardnesses and transparent inks with various degrees of viscosity, they achieved depressions and qualities that gave spectacular results.

With the arrival of his two little girls, and with the idea of ​​achieving less toxic processes, it was wonderful to find new surfaces and mechanical resources from the grinding machines and hand motors they used to make the sculptures, now adapting them in the new matrices.

Disc acetates are smooth with handheld motor and dry tip; they are susceptible to sandpaper and polishers, they are loyal reproducers of line and texture. The millimeter lines recorded with audible music are now visually perceived as part of the rhythms in the compositions with color harmonies.

This is how Abel played, next to his fatherhood, enjoying his little daughters doing naive works evoking the childhood of Meztli and Citlalli, sharing one more adventure with Melva in the studio, in that small department of the 5th. Apartment, on Insurgentes Avenue in Mexico City.

Procesos Creativos

Una vida llena de sueños, magia y arte

Por Melva Medina

El paseo dominical resultaba intenso pero divertido y en ocasiones lleno de sorpresas. Siete de la mañana, el domingo exigía levantarse temprano para acomodar los cuadros en un par de diablitos que podían llevar unas cuantas docenas de pinturas, grabados y esculturas. Debíamos ser cautelosos desde la fabricación de nuestras obras de arte; el elevador lo pedía. Y es que, viviendo en un 5to Piso en donde la única forma de subir y bajar con carga era un elevador con capacidad para 8 personas bien ajustaditas, solo debíamos tomar en cuenta la medida de la puerta para poder acceder con nuestra carga dominical con facilidad para emprender la travesía hacia el jardín del arte.

Bajando del edificio, nos encontrábamos en Insurgentes Centro, que era una de las avenidas más transitadas de la ciudad de México, sólo dábamos vuelta a la esquina y nos encontrábamos en una hermosa calle llena de grandes árboles y hermosas casas victorianas estilo francés. Sadi Carnot era el nombre de aquella señorial calle, en la colonia San Rafaél, una de las más prestigiadas de la época del Porfiriato.

Así cada domingo en el parque de Sullivan, ubicado en la misma colonia, nos dábamos cita mas de 700 pintores y escultores.

En aquellos tiempos, durante los años 80s, resultaba muy enriquecedora la experiencia, podíamos tener contacto con gran diversidad de públicos. Algunos nos visitaban como un mero pretexto de paseo familiar, que servía para el recreo, combinado con paseo de perros y niños que aprovechaban el uso de “resbaladillas” y “sube-y-baja”.

Otros paseantes, definitivamente buscaban una forma de llevar algún objeto para decorar sus casas. Y, entre tantos visitantes, llegábamos a conectar a verdaderos coleccionistas y personas muy interesadas que solían tomarnos en serio, y apostaban a nuestras carreras como creadores.

Duramos varios años haciendo este recorrido, toda la semana hacíamos nuestra producción tanto en pintura como en gráfica y escultura; y el domingo paseábamos las piezas para exhibirlas entre días soleados, algunos ventarrones y chubascos repentinos. Cada domingo, con mucho entusiasmo recorríamos ese camino, nuestra hermosa calle arbolada, en un ambiente callado y fresco y la esperanza de vender algo que nos permitiera continuar con nuestro afanoso capricho creativo.

En esa calle había una casa muy bella con cuatro balcones de cantera, techos de doble altura, frisos de yesería con rosetones en los techos de cielo raso y ventanales con doble puerta estilo Art Nouveau. Un gran portón de madera y un escudo de familia tallado en cantera en el remate frontal del diseño del edificio. Esa era mi casa favorita del recorrido. Y cada día que pasábamos enfrente le pedía al universo por esa casa… la casa de mis sueños…

¡¡¡Chapis, compremos esta casa!!! Era mi frase cada ocho días… Chapis, Cómprame esta casa… Chapis, yo quiero esta casa… Esta casa será mía…

Años pasando y años repitiendo esas frases, hasta que un día, apareció un letrero que decía: “SE VENDE DEPARTAMENTO”.

Algún tipo listo se le ocurrió derrumbar la parte interior de la casona y la fraccionó en pequeños departamentos de interés social. Cuando descubrimos esto, tuvimos un sentimiento de frustración pues la casona completa debió haber sido una joya y el haberla derrumbado fue realmente un crimen.

Sin embargo, la parte frontal de la casa había sido rescatada por el INAH antes de haberse demolido en su totalidad y se conservaban intactos los detalles de una buena parte del edificio, la cual seguía siendo maravillosa.

El departamento que se vendía en aquel momento, fue comprado por otra persona, era un departamento chiquito en la parte posterior del predio. Realmente no me gusto. Un año después, siguiendo con mis deseos de obtener ese precioso predio, por la parte del frente, lo cual sonaba menos imposible que el hecho de adquirir toda la casona, seguí pidiendo por ello y, de repente se puso un anuncio que decía “SE VENDE ESTE DEPARTAMENTO”…

La emoción nos invadió, un poco a lo loco, pues realmente nuestros gastos iban al día y no teníamos dinero para comprar ni un departamento chiquitín.

Ese mismo domingo, yo había puesto mis caballetes con un nuevo lote de grabados que había realizado en la academia de San Carlos, y un personaje elegante y muy serio me abordó dándome una tarjeta para que yo lo fuera a visitar a su oficina pues le había gustado mucho mi trabajo.

El lunes siguiente me puse guapa y lo fui a visitar. ¡Que sorpresa!… Era el presidente del Grupo ASEMEX BANPAIS, la institución que manejaba el dinero en México en esos tiempos. Me pidió mi obra para remodelar la decoración de oficinas y sucursales bancarias de toda la Ciudad de México, de Aguascalientes, Estado de México y Guadalajara. En ese momento, mi inocencia y entusiasmo me hizo comprometerme a un trabajo titánico.

En equipo con Abel, logramos hacer un taller de producción intensiva para cumplir con mi cliente. Era tal la cantidad de trabajo, que se tuvo que diversificar la producción, mis diseños resultaron ser insuficientes, Abel aprendiendo la técnica en la marcha, y me ayudó a complementar los pedidos con sus diseños.

En una de mis entregas, entrevistándome con mi jefe para liquidar algunas cuentas, él me preguntó: ¿Oye niña, estás esperando bebé?, y yo le respondí si; debo haber tenido unos 5 meses de embarazo. En ese momento vivíamos en nuestro pequeño departamento en Insurgentes Centro, en donde trabajábamos y vivíamos. De inmediato me mandó con las personas que otorgaban los créditos para los trabajadores del banco y me dio instrucciones de buscar un lugar para hacer efectivo mi crédito.

De inmediato fui a buscar a la persona que vendía la casa de mis sueños y se hizo el trato a las pocas semanas. En menos de tres meses fuimos dueños de aquel sueño. Dos días antes de dar a luz a mi pequeña Meztli, llegamos a habitar ese lugar, con una cama, un antecomedor, un mueble en donde teníamos colocado un microondas y muchos cuadros que decoraban nuestros muros, dando a nuestro nuevo hogar un toque cálido y lleno de arte. La casa era realmente linda y grande, ideal para criar a mis dos hijas.

Disfrutamos de este lugar por 10 años, justo antes de descubrir nuestra actual residencia en esta hermosa Mérida.

Technique: Polychrome Resin

Size: 30 x 43 x 11 cm

ID: AVE-A001

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    Technique: Pencil and Charcoal on Paper

    Size: 80 x 121 cm

    ID: MMD-C003

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      Technique: Watercolor on paper

      Size: 24 x 32 cm

      ID: AVW-A017

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        Creative Process

        Silent Prey

        By Melva Medina

        When the soul of a human being is violated, the mind goes into a defensive mode and creates a shield that “protects” it, hiding itself in silence. What follows is a confinement that keeps the spirit imprisoned, confused and immersed in internal conflict and pain.

        There are magic encounters between people, some intense and passionate, some harmonious and surrounded by love, but there are also savage encounters filled with sadism and hatred.

        The world has polarized the human race. One side is rage, intolerance and physical aggression which foments sensationalism and promotes morbidity and yellow journalism. On the other side is spectacle, turning us into spectators and consumers of painful stories as part of a daily entertainment, closing our eyes to the morality and value of human rights.

        The frequency of disaster and the primitive behavior of human beings justifies inhuman behaviors as part of the essence that characterizes our species.

        The subtle encounter of caress and sexuality gets transformed into abuse when something that should be love, becomes primal, savage aggression to satisfy instinct. These acts violate defenseless human beings, disregarding the consequences of actions.

        Our time is of fortunate change. The world, despite the presence of an evident chaos and a world humanitarian crisis, is opening its eyes and awakening. A large and sympathetic group of people around the world is starting to unify and radicalize stances that in a short time will lead to the awakening of consciousness. This is the work that the artist should fulfill. Our commitment is to use creative tools to denounce events, but also to propose alternatives offering relief and a solution to conflict. Art is the mechanism that crystallizes human acts. Art accompanies us and will continue distinguishing us form the rest of the species, saving the real essence of being that calls together our existence.

        This is a project we have been working on for a little over a year, having its origin in some of the drawings of Aura Meztli, from which I as a sculptor interpret and transform them in new ways. Aura Meztli’s work gives us a breath of fresh air with fashion design dedicated to child sexual abuse victims. She gives us with these creations a tool for empowerment and strength helping us to keep moving forward with dignity while feeling safe, free, and attractive.

        In this project, as with all the ones we do in Nahualli casa de los artistas, the family has been the foundation that inspires its realization. The support of Abel Vázquez and Alma Citlalli, have been essential to its fulfillment, as well as photographer Carlos Arjona.

        Creative Process

        Time of no time

        By Guadalupe Caballero

        “There is no time for things” says Abel Vázquez, joking a little bit about the pun that refers to the name of the work. The time of no time, represents the painter’s two daughters: Citlalli and Meztli, both nature lovers, spiritual beings who are looking for their own time.

        The painting is divided between earth and cosmology. The most impressive thing about Abel’s art, is that he always plays not only with his titles, but also with shapes and figures that he portrays. From one side, the painting tells you a story, but if you flip it three more times, you will get different versions of the tale; this is, without a doubt, what makes this work so peculiar yet attractive.

        At first glance, the figure of a braided woman is striking. In Abel’s words, it represents Citlali; below or next to her (depending on how the viewer perceives it) you can find the nature, sea, plants and animals surrounding her. What in a beginning seems to be a snail, suddenly turns into a bird, swan or heron, all of this elements being wrapped by cosmology and earth, making the landscape a riddle.

        From the other side, there is Meztli. She can seem in one of the readings, an angel with closed wings falling to the void, her hair represents water, and her gazing is stirring yet meticulous. From her figure, if you look closer, you will find that another face is drawn, as well as a pair of arms that are tossing small seeds to the air. All of this, expresses a deep connection between her being and earth, it serves a caring role, and talks about a protection bond that she wants to reach with her sister.

        When you flip the painting, her figure is no longer falling, but it is dancing in the air or the universe, trying to find herself. Now, the sea turns into a cactus, stars transform into flowers and birds into fishes. The angel’s hands portray light, meaning the energy that all of us have within ourselves; what was before cosmology it is now earth, it goes deep down the sea, feeding and nourishing fishes, so it becomes a circle of life. It connects with nature and also with herself.

        Other elements like the blue dots in the painting, symbolize flowers, stars or fireflies. Abel narrates how in his homeland, he used to lay down on the field and look up to the sky; what for so many could seemed to be common stars, for him meant a swarm of fireflies. The night became a source of inspiration, just as the red color and ochre that you can see portrayed on many of his works. You can’t help but notice the subtle and elegant strokes that all of this paintings possess, he likes putting nature as the main topic to make others see how important it is not only in artistic issues, but also in universal ones.

        “There is no time to destroy or not destroy, it is about making a dialogue, why waiting for time? Just do it, time does not exist”. The painter finishes. His work can be described as a puzzle, riddle or optical illusion, the viewers see what they want to see, they take their own time to appreciate and decode what lays in front of their eyes.

        Abel does not want to give a clear answer for the painting, as he finds beauty and joy in the interpretations that people grant regarding his art.

        Interview to Abel Vazquez

        Mestiza’s Figure

        By Guadalupe Caballero, Photos by Vanessa Alejandro

        The word “mestiza” (half-blood/ half-breed/ mixed-race, used for women) represents, for Yucatan’s culture an emblem of motherhood, home, protection, wisdom and history. It is, for many, the representation of indigenous, strong and hard worker woman whose embroideries are worn by many citizens; a clear example could be the shoes, clothes, bags and accessories that foreigners or even Mexicans use. However, the perception that a common person has about mestizas, is different from the one that an artist could have; this is because artists can see not only the physical aspect of the subject, but also the essence. The mestiza, in this case, depicts a precious and valuable figure by many Mexican artists who respect and portray her more as a cultural identity, rather than a historical symbol.

        To Abel, the mestiza is part of his identity. Being himself a member of a mixtecan community (those who reside in Oaxaca), he has been surrounded all his life by indigenous women, whose physical proportions such as wide hips, thick arms and legs, represent the image of how Mexican indigenous women are. This are features that have inspired him to create his sculptures. “I come from an indigenous family, my grandmothers worked on the field, so I see the strength that they have and that’s what I want people to see portrayed” he states.

        The interest that the sculptor has for the mestiza’s image, is illustrated in his words full of joy, as he relates how in his first years of art school, making sculptures with topics regarding women, was implemented as an area. With practice, he started to develop a love for it, which kept growing throughout the years. For the artist, this portray never stopped to be important in his life as well as in his personal life; he is interested to know which attitudes and emotions the new generation has regarding mestizas and, most important , he would like to rebirth the image of female strength.

        As Abel keeps reciting his experiences, his eyes start to sparkle in happiness, it is the proudness of embodying a work that contains his own identity that makes him so blissful. He mentions that the inspiration to create mestizas sculptures does not appear just like that, but it comes from generations, experiences and artist’s memories throughout historical ages.

        “I was born from the land, the field, there were no hospitals. Talking about the indigenous woman, is talking about my essence.” He claims. As the artist lived the majority of his life with his grandmother, he observed her endless times plowing the land; he remembers watching his aunt selling on the markets the fruits that used to grow on the backyard. Abel recalls the attention that he gave to small details such as their behavior, attitudes, the shape of their silhouettes, hands, face features, hair, and the way they dressed, that later on would be reflected on his sculptures.

        Abel Vazquez, does not perceive mestizas as strange entities; the view that he has on them goes beyond, that someone who has never spent time with one, could ever have. The typical image of the mestiza is described as the brunette woman with braided hair that you could easily find in a market, as a handmaid in wealthy families or even hidden within her town, far away from the modern society which is so alien to her, as her culture would be to a common person. The artist, emphasizes that for him, it is about the reflection of a life essence which he grew up with, it is portraying love towards Mayan culture and above all, to fortify the image of the indigenous woman through art.