Allan returned from his recent stay in Chacala, Mexico, with a wonderful new selection of Tepehuano yarn paintings. Each one is meticulously constructed in brilliant fibres and tells its own story.
These yarn paintings are created by the Tepehuano people who live in remote parts of north central Mexico. They are created as a testament to their life and relationships to the forces of the spiritual world.
The term "yarn painting" is used to describe the technique of decorating flat surfaces with wax and colored yarn. Yarn paintings are created by applying wax to a prepared surface, usually plywood, and then pressing the yarn into the wax. Most of these same techniques are used by Huichol and Tepehuano artists to decorate other objects like masks and carved wooden animals.
On the back of each yarn painting, the artist has written a description of what is going on in the painting. The artist writes in Spanish, which is often a second language for him. We have done our best to translate each description. This one depicts the "Good Harvest":
"From the moon, the medicine man receives the power to do the rain ceremony and to send the hummingbird to ask the Water God to bring rain for a good harvest. He places macuchi leaves in the pipe for the rain ceremony to bless the corn. He uses feathers for the ceremony. The gourd holds the sacred water. The barco is the instrument used to play songs in the ceremony. In the ceremony, he makes offerings to the Gods on the altar in gratitude for success obtained."
Check them out in the Huichol section of the Joydancer Store.