A collective of Oaxacan artists fills Hotel Xcaret Arte with art and color

Another Land/Another Light  

Oaxaca, the cradle of Mexican art 

One of the most representative states of Mexico is undoubtedly the state of Oaxaca, and the reasons are many. It stands out for the traditions of its people, it's Magical Towns, its mezcal, its exquisite gastronomy, and its art, the latter reflecting the diversity and cultural richness that it possesses and that it captures through black clay divs, creative alebrijes, hand embroidery, or wool rugs dyed with vegetable inks.

Oaxaca is a state that makes you fall in love in many ways, and that enhances Mexican art.   

The art exhibition “Otra tierra, otra luz” (Another land, another light) arrived at Hotel Xcaret Arte, where a collective of five talented artists from the region showed us:    

"The experience of touring with your senses through the land where hills are painted in ocher and rust, the land where you can touch the clouds with your fingertips. The one that is another land and another light." 

-Fernando Ramírez González, curator    

Last Friday, March 17th, the artists of the Oaxacan collective and guests gathered at Casa del Patrón to open the exhibition that will live on the corridors of the Diego and Frida halls until May.   

After the ribbon cutting, each artist shared details about their work and processes of inspiration through the senses.    

Meet the Oaxacan artists that conform to this collective:  

• Cocotzin Prieto  
• Yari Montés 
• Enrique Flores  
• Cruz Vargas  
• Fernando Ramírez   

Their creative processes, from the most common places and actions to the most private and personal, manage to materialize their peculiar way of seeing and understanding the world in each work. They work to share self-exploration and a set of truths with all who find a mirror of their reality in the artist's work.   

Now it is time for me to tell you a little more about each of the artists that make up this collective.  

Resident of Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca, visual artist Cocotzin Prieto  

She transmits with her silkscreen work the message of resignifying the discourses of the feminine, reaching a reflective space where you can reveal, discuss, and transform the stereotype of women. Her silkscreen Transfiguración was my favorite for its colors and detail and for displaying an empowered female div.   

Yari Montes, who was born high in the mountains of Oaxaca 

She says that, in her pieces, she allows the presence of memories, lost feelings, and states of mind that she once felt. I can assure you that looking at her works, you can feel each of those reminiscences.    

Enrique Flores, who is originally from San Pablo Huitzo, Oaxaca 

It's his turn to talk about the work that stands out for depicting women in the foreground, representing their importance and development of culture. In his pieces, we can also see the presence of birds, fruits, and landscapes in bright colors that take him back to his experiences.    

Cruz Vargas  

A constant question to the viewer is how the Oaxacan artist Cruz Vargas seeks the viewer to complete his work, composed of a series of symbolic elements that open doors into the unknown and invite the search for new realities.    

The artist's work also highlights the accident or the stain as a starting point for his creations and where we can find pieces such as "Xolo in the garden", a lithograph where, if you look closely, you can see different characters that at first glance are not seen.    

Fernando Ramírez 

Through exploring drawing, printmaking, and engraving, visual artist Fernando Ramírez presents mythical characters that inhabit his imagination, which can create or destroy. He associates them with meteorological phenomena, for example, in his work Nube (Cloud), an amorphous being that seems to feed on what is around him to survive.   

We are also hosting inside Hotel Xcaret Arte artistic activations by the collective. Our guests can experiment with different techniques such as watercolor, drawing, engraving, and printmaking, as well as guide them in exploring their senses, making the artist who lives in each of us to feel free to express through art their emotions and feelings.  

Realizing that we all have the talents to draw, paint, or sculpt a piece in clay is a fantastic experience. Get carried away by inspiration and imagination. The next time you visit Hotel Xcaret Arte, don't hesitate to experience one of our workshops and release the artist that lives in you among beautiful landscapes and the sounds of nature.