Entry #10: De Un Corazón Roto Sale Nueva Vida

     

Entry #10– December 6, 2010

The Image:  De Un Corazón Roto Sale Nueva Vida – From a Broken Heart Comes New Life


A personal theme for my October 2010 trip to Chiapas, Mexico was “Ojos Abiertos, Corazones Abiertos” (Open eyes, open hearts).

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One of the lovely outcomes of my visit was meeting Kiki Suarez, an artist whose work I have loved ever since I purchased a couple of her small colorful prints about fifteen years ago. Her art gallery in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas is called “La Galería del Corazón Abierto” (The Gallery of the Open Heart), and its front placard is a ceramic version of the painting shown in this picture. The bright colors coupled with the image of the strong tree coming as new life from the open heart are wonderful images for Chiapas. Among the Maya of Chiapas, the ceiba tree represents a central world tree, connecting the underworld, the terrestrial world, and the skies above us. Chiapas is Mexico’s poorest state; her indigenous people have been neglected by Mexico’s central government for many decades. Moreover, the people of Chiapas continue to suffer because current policies promoting free trade and globalization fail to protect their communities and agricultural traditions. Yet, her people are resilient, and indigenous life is strongly rooted. 

copyright© 2010 by Paulette L. Stenzel for  text.  The photo is copyright© 2010  by artist KIKI SUÁREZ of Chiapas, Mexico and is included here with her permission.