Menu

The Story Behind the Art Crafting a Self-Portrait

A Treasured Possession

During a folk festival, I wandered over to a table spotted with alebrije wood carvings. As I ogled the pieces, a volunteer offered me a half sheet of canvas and said, “Paint something.” I didn’t have a clue. Then she suggested I paint a self-portrait. “Me?” I asked, shivering from the inside out. “Make it abstract,” she said.

Earlier, I’d seen colorful Huichol yarn paintings and admired their deep reds, vibrant blues, and grounding orange colors. That, combined with the white dots on alebrije folk art, inspired my self-portrait. Adding a yellow background pushed it into modern territory.

For more information visit the wiki pages for  Alebrije & Huichol art.

Alebrije wooden carving of a fantastical red creature with blue horns, green legs, and dotted patterns, representing traditional Mexican folk art.
Source: UKnowledge. University of Kentucky's Institutional Repository.
Alebrije-style wooden pig sculpture painted with bright red, blue, and green dots and geometric shapes.
Source: Novica-The Impact Marketplace for Oaxacan Wood Carvings
Close-up detail of a Huichol yarn painting showing an intricate green eye pattern made from layered threads.
Source: Wake Forest University. Timothy S. Y. Lam Museum of Anthropology
Huichol yarn painting featuring vivid reds, blues, and oranges forming abstract human and animal shapes.
Source: Wake Forest University. Timothy S. Y. Lam Museum of Anthropology
MH Mundy's Abstract self-portrait by M. H. Mundy featuring vivid geometric shapes in red, yellow, and green, inspired by Huichol yarn paintings and Oaxacan alebrije folk art.
M. H. Mundy’s abstract self-portrait variation showing stylized eye and face elements outlined in green and red with geometric shapes.