Queen of Hearts as Ah-Puch and Ixtab
Drawing on paper. Colored pencil, ink. 8.5 × 11 inches. 2023
Dual Faces of Mortality
In this richly symbolic piece, the artist intertwines the dual Mayan deities Ah-Puch and Ixtab, presenting a dynamic exploration of death and the afterlife. The vivid composition places the skeletal darkness of Ah-Puch, the god of death and destruction, in conversation with Ixtab, the compassionate goddess who guides souls of the violently departed. Together, they reframe the inevitability of mortality with both chaos and care.
Drawing on paper. Colored pencil, ink. 8.5 × 11 inches. 2023
Dual Faces of Mortality
In this richly symbolic piece, the artist intertwines the dual Mayan deities Ah-Puch and Ixtab, presenting a dynamic exploration of death and the afterlife. The vivid composition places the skeletal darkness of Ah-Puch, the god of death and destruction, in conversation with Ixtab, the compassionate goddess who guides souls of the violently departed. Together, they reframe the inevitability of mortality with both chaos and care.
Drawing on paper. Colored pencil, ink. 8.5 × 11 inches. 2023
Dual Faces of Mortality
In this richly symbolic piece, the artist intertwines the dual Mayan deities Ah-Puch and Ixtab, presenting a dynamic exploration of death and the afterlife. The vivid composition places the skeletal darkness of Ah-Puch, the god of death and destruction, in conversation with Ixtab, the compassionate goddess who guides souls of the violently departed. Together, they reframe the inevitability of mortality with both chaos and care.
The central figure, bursting with vibrant hues of fiery orange, deep blues, and lush greens, suggests the transformation of death into life and vice versa. Encased in an arch-like form that recalls both a gateway and a womb, the figure captures the cyclical nature of existence—destruction leading to renewal. The jagged, layered blues evoke skeletal structures and the void of Ah-Puch, while the softer greens and purples suggest Ixtab's nurturing presence.
Surrounding the central figure, a stony terrain contrasts with sprouting green tendrils, symbolizing the harshness of mortality against the resilience of life. Above, wispy clouds swirl across a cerulean sky, adding an ethereal quality that ties the physical to the spiritual.
The blending of the "Queen of Hearts" into this mythological framework suggests a deliberate merging of universal themes: the volatility of love, the inevitability of loss, and the duality of destruction and redemption. By bridging the mythic roles of Ah-Puch and Ixtab with contemporary symbolism, the artwork becomes a meditation on how mortality shapes the human experience—both as a fearsome specter and as a source of profound renewal.
