BY DESO
5 COLOUR SILKSCREEN PRINT
EDITION OF 30
28 X 39  CM
SIGNED & NUMBERED 
300 G FINE ART PAPER
PRINTED AT THE FINGAZ STUDIO
 
‘Zihua’ by Deso is based on a trio of 2019 paintings by the artist.
Zihua (Zihuatanejo) is a sleepy fishing town on the Pacific coast of Mexico, a luscious verdant paradise where a deep, mystic indigenous culture and practice meet an itinerant community of foreigners who have flocked to this unique place since the 1970s.
With a history dating back to the pre Hispanic period, one of the possible origins of the word "zihuatanejo" translates as "place of women". It is thought to have once been a sanctuary dedicated to the goddess Cihuatéotl, the mother of the human race and the deity of women who died in childbirth and of warriors women who lost their lives in battle.This image pays homage to the powerful feminine energy still prevalent in Zihuatanejo today.
Rendered in Deso's trademark style with influences from 20th century poster design and 1960s psychedelic art, 'Zihua' also takes inspiration from the tools and ceramics used to perform traditional ritual ceremonies; the vision that manifests is one that is deeply personal, representing the artist's journey - finding love and a sense of belonging in Zihuatanejo.
The burning ghost symbolises the epiphanic nature of letting go of the past, both terrifying and empowering; the two female figures act as talismans of the ceremonial voyage, with the snake at their feet alluding to the ambivalence of the subconscious, the site of our buried fears and hidden desires.