Our Lady of the Waters

Continuing with this week's series on Dia de los Muertos, we are featuring our photos of an ofrenda (altar) by renowned artist and mask maker, Zarco Guerrero. This amazing artwork honors an Aztec deity of water, rivers, seas, streams, storms, and baptism: Chalchilhuilique.

Zarco Guerrero has depicted Chalchil in a dramatic yet lifelike form, wearing an elaborate headdress embellished with flowers and feathers.

 Chalchilhuilique by Zarco Guerrero

Chalchiuhtlicue roughly translates to Senora de Las Aguas (Spanish), or, Our Lady of the Waters.  (Note: Wikipedia shows the spelling of the Nahuatl name as Chalchiuitlicue.)  

Zarco says, "Ancient Mexican imagery is rich in metaphor. The Nahuatl language and iconography open windows to an ancestral vision and world view. It presents a treasure trove of ideas for artists to discover, to reinterpret, and to share with our community, like a gift from a grandparent."

According to some scholars, Chalchil held a dual role in Aztec mythology as both a life-giver and life-ender.  Zarco says,  "My expression of Chalchil intends to make her human and benevolent. We should honor [Chalchil] with respect and artistic integrity just as our ancestors did, in order to ensure this most precious resource [of water] for generations to come. My goal is to bring Chalchil to life as a processional sculpture to parade in this most unique of cultural celebrations."

Zarco Guerrero has exhibited and received international acclaim and many prestigious awards. He received the Japan Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, The Arizona Governors Arts Award, the Artistic Excellence Award from American Hispanics in Higher Education and the Esperanza Teacher of the Year Award, among many others.

Image credits: Photos were taken at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona (2017).