Balam

By Angel Chavez

Acrylic Paint on Canvas

60 x 48"

2023

"I sketched this design in 2020, but I didn’t paint it until 2023. I wanted to paint something to represent my culture. Growing up, I climbed the pyramid of the sun and the pyramid of the moon at Teotihuacan, and I always carry memories of my culture being colorful and powerful. Sometimes, I feel homesick, and I wanted to paint something with bold colors that made me feel close to my home country. I started learning about the Mayan jaguar, Balam. The jaguar is an iconic Mexican symbol that represents power and protection. I decided to add an earring with gold, symbolizing the wealth of the Mayans. The feathers on the earring represent the Mayan glyph for Balam, Chichen Itza, and the pattern on the Chichen Itza pyramid. This painting cures my homesickness when I look at it."

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