Ajijic's brilliantly colorful street murals, Part 1

Mural of a pregnant tree goddess. It is located on the wall of a private home located on Calle Lázaro Cardenas, just east of Calle Encarnación Rosas. The mural is signed "L. Matiz y Wins, 08/03/2024". Mexico has a long tradition of wall murals, dating back at least to the Classic Era of the pre-hispanic period. Artists in Ajijic, the pueblo where I live, have continued this tradition with an extraordinary number of brilliantly colorful murals. Some of them were publicly funded, while others were commissioned by local businesses or private homeowners. 

This posting is the first of a multi-part series which will show a few of the many murals that have been created by our local artists. In Part 1, I'll focus on five different art works located in the area between our home and Ajijic's main plaza. When a mural is large, I will include photos of various parts of it so you can appreciate the details. When the artist has legibly signed and dated the mural, I will include those, along with a link to further information.

Mural highlighting the fiestas of Ajijic

Long mural celebrating Ajijic's various fiesta traditions. It is located on Calle Felipe Angeles at the corner of Calle Castellanos and decorates the side wall of Go Bistro, a popular local restaurant. The names of two artists appear on a corner of the mural: Mario Ramirez and Itzel Montion, however there was no date. The six photos that follow will show different sections of the mural.

The Sayacas of Carnaval (Mardi Gras). Sayacas are men who dress up in women's clothing, often using large balloons to simulate breasts. The Sayacas are just guys being playful and a little crazy. Carnaval parade spectators are often pelted by handfuls of flour while being pursued by Sayacas. It's all part of the explosion of fun that occurs just before the sober period of Lent. While today's Sayacas are connected to the Christian Lent, the tradition is believed to date back to pre-hispanic times. 

Four men carry a statue of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. This fiesta is held every December 12, in honor of the most important Catholic saint in Mexico. The Virgin of Guadalupe is not only a religious figure, but an important political symbol. She first appeared in 1531 to a Christianized Aztec man. Legend has it that he encountered her in a ruined pagan temple. She was brown-skinned and spoke the Nahuatl language of the Aztecs. These features made her immensely attractive to indigenous people in Nueva España. Later, Mexican insurgents displayed her image on their flags during the Independence War. 

This figure embodies several important traditions. Skulls and skeletons abound during the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), held every November 2. This fiesta's roots stretch far back into pre-hispanic times. It celebrates the annual return of the deceased to commune with their living relatives. The fiesta includes parades, family altars, and lots of great fun. 

Another tradition is the charro outfit worn by the skeleton figure. This is the clothing favored by the men (and women) who display their dazzling riding and roping skills at charreadas (Mexican rodeos). Those skills are closely associated with Jalisco's colonial-era haciendas. The instrument he plays is central to mariachi bands, who also favor charro outfits. Mariachis are another tradition which originated in Jalisco. 

Man whoops it up with a vivacious catrina. They dance to the music of the charro-clad skeleton. The man above may be the portrait of an actual person. The artist, Manuel Ramirez, often includes images of his friends and acquaintances in his art works. Although these skeleton figures often appear at Day of the Dead fiestas, they were not originally part of that tradition, but grew out of 19th century politics.

Catrins (the male figures) and catrinas (the females) were created by a 19th century political cartoonist named Guadalupe Posada.  He used them to lampoon the pretensions of Mexico's upper class during the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz. His cartoons sometimes got him into trouble and eventually forced him to flee his hometown of Aguascalientes. However, catrins and catrinas have been wildly popular in Mexico since the beginning of the 20th century and eventually became associated with the Day of the Dead.

Another masked and artificially buxom Sayaca flourishes her skirt.  A small dog sits next to her, alertly watching the action. While some of Ajijic's murals are in heavily traveled areas, others seem randomly placed. This makes for interesting surprises as I round a corner and am suddenly confronted by a scene like this. The most important factor in their placement is probably the availability of large, flat open spaces on walls.

A couple of mounted charros occupy the far end of the mural. One carries the Mexican flag, while his partner clutches an open can of beer. Charros on horseback participate in many of Ajijic's fiestas, particularly those celebrating the War of Independence and the Mexican Revolution. In fact, I have probably photographed both of these men at one fiesta or another. I was particularly amused by the charro with the beer. I have seen similar charros ride up to a local store, summon the proprietor to sell him a beer, then finish it without ever dismounting. 

Images of the Lake

Birds, fish and plant life of Lago de Chapala. I found this mural and the next one at the corner of Ajijic's Carretera (main street) and Calle Castellanos. Each of its two sides is a mirror image of the other. The animals include White Pelicans, Great White Egrets, and various kinds of fish. I was a bit mystified, at first, by the two large brown objects on either end of the mural. They look a little like candle holders. I finally decided that they are images of the small containers that pre-hispanic people once threw into the water with offerings for the god and goddess of the Lake. I could find no signature by the artist or date.

A fisherman pulls his catch from the water while nets dry in the background. This beautifully captured scene is similar to many I have observed and photographed in the past. The feeling of quiet serenity expressed in the mural was juxtaposed with the bumper-to-bumper traffic passing just a few feet away on the Carretera. However, just a few blocks to the south, a walk along the shore of Lago de Chapala can still yield the feeling I got from this mural. 

Frida in her garden

Portrait of Frida Kahlo communing with nature in a lush garden. This mural is on the wall of a condominium on Calle Encarnación Rosas between Calle Emiliano Zapata and Ajijic's Carretera. The date on the mural is 2022, but the signature is unclear. It  may be Juanjo Bagnar, but I could find no information about an artist of that name.

Frida Kahlo was one of Mexico's most famous artists. Her paintings focused on popular culture and folk art, as well as self-portraits. She was married to Diego Rivera, one of Mexico's greatest 20th century muralists. Their stormy marriage included a brief affair between Frida and Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky, as well as a fling by Diego with Frida's sister. 

Painted on the stone wall under the mural of Frida are two dogs and a cat. The dogs' leashes are painted so that they appear to be attached to a nearby pole. Interestingly, the middle dog and the cat both have halos over their heads. I interpret this to mean that they have both passed over to Critter Heaven and that their former owner, who commissioned the mural, still cares for them. The leashes indicate that the owner is a  likely a foreigner. Although many dogs run loose on the streets here, that doesn't mean they don't have a home. Many Mexicans don't leash their pets or keep them penned up in yards.

Street scenes 

Local folks gather to watch a sparking, flaming castillo. Many of Ajijic's fiestas feature this dramatic form of fireworks as the climax of the event. A castillo ("castle"), is a tall, rather flimsy structure of sticks tied together. Attached to it are various fireworks, including rockets on pinwheels that shoot sparks and spin wildly. A large castillo, set alight after dark, is an impressive spectacle,. However, they would probably give U.S. or Canadian fire marshals heart palpitations. 

The artist of this mural and the two that follow is Jesus Lopez Vega, a friend of mine for many years. In fact, he guided me to the abandoned gold mill that was the inspiration for my blog postings called La Rusa's Gold Mine. Jesus has a gallery/studio in west Ajijic where he works and displays many of this paintings. He is also one of Ajijic's most prolific muralists. In a future posting of this series, I will show some of his work, including the spectacular stairwell murals of Ajijic's Cultural Center.

Street scene showing the church on Calle Parroquia and Marcos Castellanos school. The mural decorates the front of a private home. While it shows the lake and mountains in the background, they are actually to the south (right). Also, there is a large mural painted on the school facade which is not shown here. I guess this is what "artistic license" means. Many of Jesus' paintings include one or more dogs, one of which can be seen in the foreground, peering back at the viewer. Notice the horseman talking to the woman in front of the school. This detail tells a small story in itself.

Fill 'er up, please! Remember the mural of the mounted charro carrying a beer? In this mural detail, a vaquero (cowboy) leans down with his mug so that the woman can fill it from her pitcher. The white liquid it contains is probably pulque, a mildly alcoholic beverage made from the heart of the agave plant. Pulque has been enjoyed by Mexicans for centuries and by their pre-hispanic ancestors for millennia before that. People in the rural areas still drink it, although it has been largely displaced by beer in the more urbanized areas. 

The completes Part 1 of my series on Ajijic's murals. I hope you have enjoyed it. If so, please leave any thoughts or questions in the Comments section below or email me directly. If you leave a question, please remember to include your email address so that I can respond in a timely manner.

Hasta luego, Jim