Xoloitzcuintle

Acrylic on canvas

Hand painted

Dimensions: 6 in. x 8 in.

The Xoloitzcuintle, a sacred dog in Aztec culture, stands against a background of mandalas that suggest the circularity of time and the eternal cycles of life and death. Its stylized body, with lines hinting at its skeleton, reinforces its role as a guide for souls in the underworld, serving as a link between this world and the beyond.

The monarch butterfly, which the Xolo seems to touch gently, symbolizes the souls that migrate and return each Day of the Dead. It is a reminder that death is not an end, but a transformation. At its feet, skulls and marigold flowers create a symbolic altar, where the offerings of life (the flowers) intertwine with the inevitable presence of death (the skulls).

The use of purple and lilac tones as a backdrop creates a mystical and spiritual atmosphere, evoking transcendence and the duality between the visible and the invisible. The geometric patterns that surround it represent our people, as well as the happiness and strength in Zapotec culture. This piece invites reflection on the communion between the earthly and the spiritual, the passage of time, and the cyclical return of souls, guided by nature itself.

However, this is just a suggestion; in the end, you are the one who truly interprets and connects with this work.