huichol

A myriad shades of blue conjure a cool and soothing universe in this elegant nierika, or votive beadwork painting by Kupihaute. Scorpions scuttle purposefully around the center of the composition, which takes the shape of a flower with five wide petals.

The artist, who writes fluently in the Huichol, Nahuatl and English languages, talks about this work in his own words. "From the focal center of the nierika, the precious flower arises in spiral movement as the culminating expression of the deepest roots. The blossom is keeping in its entrails the seed that will disseminate the power of creative energy. This is symbolized by the scorpions that, in their wonderful body symmetry, show the essence of the power itself, since any imbalance in its mating dance, any missing the target, will cause its own poisoning and thus its own death. Therefore the symbol of cosmos, of order is shown in their mouths and the tails."

The intricate images are formed with tiny seed beads. Kupihuate patiently places them one at a time with a needle made of abalone shell onto a huanacaxtle wood backing. Beeswax is used instead of glue.

The process is totally spontaneous, with no previous sketch or design. It is guided by the artist's unconscious to tell the stories that remain in our collective ancestral memory. He signs his work with the symbol of a butterfly on the reverse side of the nierika.

Resembling a flower with six petals, a bright peyote bud, or jikuri graces these dramatic earrings. Believed to enlighten the one who partakes of it, jikuri is an essential element of Huichol religion. Huichol Center for Cultural Survival and Traditional Arts artisans craft the five-inch-long pair, meticulously placing tiny seed beads one by one. A long beaded fringe cascades from beneath.

Working in the tradition of Huichol artistry, Mexican artisan Adriana Trejo creates this cool pendant necklace. She strings petite glass beads by hand to create a circular pendant with a beaded waterfall that dangles below, featuring colors of blue, white, and black.

A sterling silver diamond dangles from a slender chain, hosting a waterfall of petite glass beads that capture the hues of a desert sunset. Each strand culminates in a petite globe of blue agate. By Ana Mirez, the elegant necklace is handcrafted in the traditional style of Huichol beadwork.

Sterling silver diamonds host waterfalls of petite glass beads that capture the colors of a desert sunset. Blue agates dance at the end of each strand, displaying their beauty. Ana Mirez creates waterfall earrings, crafted in the traditional style of Huichol beadwork.