San Cristóbal de Las Casas. Chiapas, México
What is the essence, the genius, of P.T’ul’s work, and where does it come from?
A very free imagination, yet deeply rooted in the profound traditions of his town, San Andrés, Chiapas. A humble confidence. He is self-taught, and for that reason, he learns from what his hands teach by doing. His inspiration is rooted in the Maya knowledge of the land, passed down through conversations with his grandparents, transformed into forms. Of earth, first and foremost—what could be more natural? In painting as well; his imaginative thinking—through image—carries something prophetic.
Pedro Gómez (San Andrés, 1997) comes from (and nourishes) a family of highly knowledgeable artists/artisans, deeply immersed in the rich textile tradition of San Andrés. Most of his ten siblings work with the backstrap loom, designing artistic works that adapt the tradition, and in the diffusion, communication, and commercialization of their collectively made production.
While working on this exhibition for almost a year, P.T’ul naturally came to expand the show to include utilitarian art objects made by his own hands and those of his colleagues at Galería MUY: PH Joel, Martha Alejandro, Maruch Méndez, Darwin Cruz, and Saúl Kak. Contemplative art and utilitarian art are in constant dialogue. Even though the inspiration for his sculptural art comes from the practical life of his community, practical objects carry aesthetic value in their very forms. These are prototypes of a new/old tableware for the home—what is more practical than eating? And honoring the rituals of campesino production for cultural, family, and community reproduction.
To truly appreciate one’s culture, sometimes a person must temporarily step away from it. P.T’ul left his home at the age of seven! To receive a bicultural education in San Cristóbal de Las Casas. He never lost his compass: the town of San Andrés remains the source of his being and his genius, even though he now resides in Jobel (Indigenous San Cristóbal) with his own family. It is through these inward/outward-looking eyes that he is able to paint the critical and the problematic, the suffering caused by divisions, waves of exploitation, and the contradictions of modernization. P.T’ul paints the fragilities of his people.
And he molds the forms of hope, made by his indi-collective creative hands, rooted in Maya/Zoque ch’ulel (spirit/soul).
Galería MUY
(Collective curation directed by Martha Alejandro and Xun Tontik with PH Joel)
December 2022
Artworks
Cultural collaboration
Terracotta
39 x 19 x 23 cm
2021
It is a piece that speaks about unity, where the traditional authorities all collaborate to raise their voices and invoke the well-being of the community. The healer floats within the piece—such an important figure who heals the body and the soul, a guide of dreams and a midwife, the only ones who truly care for everyone.
In the palm of the hand is the woman, the mother who gives life, nurtures growth, and transmits memory and knowledge that provide communal identity. The hand is a symbol of strength, holding firmly to our roots of origin.
M’etik balumil (mother earth)
Terracotta
42 x 21 x16 cm
2021
A mother carrying her baby—the baby represents the sower who has arrived on Earth to work it, to plant, to harvest fruits, to have communication and dialogue. He looks attentively toward all the natural signs, such as strong winds and droughts, and also when offerings are made to the Earth so that she feels appreciated.
The sower or farmer knows everything about the soil and what it holds within, and the Earth knows the man if he is united with his nahual, the spirit-animal guardian granted to us from birth. One representation is the tlacuache (opossum), which is found on the chest and the belly—where signs from our surroundings and our state of health are perceived.
Musicians of life
Terracotta
30 x 18 40 cm
2022
It is a square-shaped figure with four legs, featuring two people with bird faces. Traditional musicians accompany the community authorities in every ceremony—at certain hours in the morning, midday, and night. They play the harp, the flute, and the drum. They hold a deep commitment and are fundamental to the culture and to the community.
The people have bird faces because birds sing in the mornings when the sun is rising—this has meaning. When the sun is setting, they also sing, signaling that the sun is saying goodbye. Birds give warnings. There are also other birds that sing in groups during the rainy season—these songs are messages for the community. Some songs serve as alerts.
Grandparents' legacy
Terracotta
37 x 37 x 41 cm
2022
It is a figure of two people who are joined at the head. At the front, they are holding corn, representing the passing of the banner to the new generations. The young person of the new generation is connected to the memory and all the knowledge that the elders hold about life, tradition, and worldview.
For the elders, it is very important that the new generation listens to them and maintains the practice of working the land and harvesting food. This gives us identity, life, health, and nourishes us both physically and culturally.
Home Protector
Local mud from San Ramón and oxides
26 x 23 x 14 cm
2022
It is a figure of a bull, and on top it has a house called vakax naʼ (a house with the structure of a bull). In the community, when a house is built, the head of the animal is buried in the center. This is done so that when illnesses, bad energies, or evil appear, the bull is the one that must defend the family living in that house.
In San Andrés, where I come from, this belief is held. My grandparents and my family continue to practice it here in Chiapas.
Day of the Dead Offering
Local mud from San Ramón and oxides
25 x 27 x 27 cm
2022
It is a three-legged jar, with drawings of smoked meat that is eaten and offered on the Day of the Dead. It features a skull and another person who is giving the offering. These jars are used for tamales and atoles on the Day of the Dead.
Transformation
Sculpture, jungle clay
18 x 20 x 14 cm
2022
Eye
Sculpture, local clay
27 cm x 24 cm
2020
This work is constructed through the iconography of textiles from the Mayan peoples. When the points are connected, they form a star. In the background, there is an eye with a wide gaze; it is the one who watches over, observes, and illuminates the survival of Indigenous peoples when they go through difficult times.
Ilchi (Shepherd)
Rock, quartz, ceiba thorn and clay figures
12 x 29 x 12 cm
2022
This piece arose from a memory of when my grandmother used to go to muk’tabits (big mountain), a place where they lived for a long time. It is a large hill, and she would walk for an hour and a half to take her sheep to graze. She would take her grandchildren along to teach them how to care for the sheep, how to harvest and plant vegetables, gather firewood, and visit the springs in the hills. This makes me recall the taste of the water that flows from the rocks, the sheep lined up along the paths, how to care for and feed them in order to get good wool to make clothing.
The sower
Stone, maguey fibers and mud
120 x 15 x 10 cm
2022
The sower is the representation of the campesino who works the land. At noon, when it strikes twelve, he sits down and observes his plants to see if the seeds have sprouted. It is then that he takes the opportunity to give thanks for life, and he prays for the care and well-being of his crops, because that is where he obtains food and life — a way of living, of filling his home with nourishment.
The shoot
26 x 18 cm
Acrylic on canvas
2022
There are trees that, when cut down, leave only the trunk, and yet their roots sprout again, and branches begin to grow. In the same way, communities are often ideologically fragmented, which hinders collective organization — but even so, we learn to keep growing.
Kosilaltik (Our territory)
Acrylic on canvas
28 x 26 cm
2022
This piece takes the shape of a hut. In the countryside, the most important thing is to have a good harvest, good fruits. Sometimes, out of economic necessity, people migrate to the city, to larger towns, crossing into other territories, encountering other cultures and ways of life. What awaits them is the hardship of language barriers, and when they travel to other countries, they sometimes lose their lives and face a harsh reality — death.
Little Weasel Jar
San Ramón mud and cochineal
17.5 x 21 x 27 cm
2021
It is a small jar that features a weasel, a bat, and maize as decoration, with many plants and trees in the background—the place where they live. There is also a small city that is gradually growing over time.
Destruction
Terracotta
42 x 41 cm
2022
Within our communities, new events are taking place; the pieces focus on what destroys us, such as paramilitary groups, displacement, territorial conflicts, and cultural divisions—these divide the people.
The bonfire
Terracotta, bonfires, firewood, faces, and corn cobs
35x 37 x 35 cm
2022
It is a representation of the dialogues where many ideas are generated, but also conflicts.
Traditional food
Terracotta and natural pigments
27.5 x 21 x 28 cm
2022
It is a little bull with a vase-shaped belly. This refers to the fact that these animals are sacred in traditional pieces. They are offerings for the celebrations.
Caves
Terracotta and natural pigments, 800 degrees
19 x 39 x 33 cm
2022
It is a sculpture of the place where the beings of the forest dwell, the lords who protect the vegetation and sacred places. The community cares for it because having natural reserves is a fortress for the people.