The Murals of Ajijic Part 3: The Artists' Alley & Calle Parroquia

A pair of cheerful-looking skeletons sail the Lake on a paper boat. A red sun glows in the background, while small red globes float nearby. Between the male and female skeletons is a bouquet of maravillas (marigolds). Skeletons and marigolds are both elements of the annual Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Skeletons symbolize deceased relatives or friends. Paths of marigolds leading to family altars help guide the dead back for a visit. The scene, painted by the artist Aldo Varela, is another example of the lighthearted Mexican view of death. 

This scene forms the left end of a mural which stretches along the south side of the andador (walking street) known as Artists' Alley. The andador leads from Calle Castellanos to Plaza de Ajijic. More murals decorate the north side of Artists' Alley. I am not including those because some of them have appeared in my previous postings, while others were obstructed by vendors' booths, so I couldn't photograph them. In addition to Artists' Alley, this posting will also show the murals along Calle Parroquia. This street leads from the Parroquia  (Parish) church one block to Calle Colon, along the south side of the Plaza.

The rest of Sr. Valela's mural contains this unusual pair. On the right is a seated woman wearing gold jewelry and a jaguar head dress. The jaguar is an animal with deep symbolic meaning in Mexico. The big cats were revered in pre-hispanic times because of their power and their tendency to hunt at night. To the ancient people, this suggested that the creature could travel between the worlds of the living and the dead. In many ancient Mesoamerican civilizations, jaguars became the totems of warrior societies and of royalty. 

The woman's closed eyes and hand gestures suggest that she is praying. Meanwhile, a school of fish swims demurely by.  In front of her, a rooster stands on a reddish globe, similar to the other globes shown floating in the Lake. The skeletal figure wears jewelry similar to that of the woman. The head dress of the skeletal figure is made from the skull of a large bird of prey. With his right hand, he brandishes a staff or wand, while his left had makes a gesture that that seems to invite the viewer to approach. 

A mariachi band composed of roosters entertains a small audience of the same species. The  tiny plaza above resembles Seis Esquinas (Six Corners), located in the western part of Ajijic. My wife and I lived near there during our first year in Mexico. In pueblos like Ajijic, the crowing of roosters, along with church bells and barking dogs, are part of life's background music. Mariachis are another ubiquitous fact of life here. The pueblo of Cocula, about an hour's drive from Ajijic, claimes to be the birthplace of mariachi music. Cocula is proud of its Mariachi Museum, which contains photos, instruments, and mariachi costumes.

Murals along Calle Parroquia

A mural covers the entire front (north side) of a local elementary school. Escuela Primaria Marcos Castellanos stands on the corner of Calles Parroquia and Marcos  Castellanos. In my last posting, I showed you the Mural de los Muertos (Wall of the Dead), which covers the east side of this school. Both the mural above and the Wall of the Dead were the creations of Efrén González, one of the most prominent artists in Ajijic. Since the mural is huge and very complex, so I will show it section by section, in the following seven photographs.

The Goddess of the Lake. On the far left end of the mural is Teomichihuali. Her Nahuatl name is pronounced tay-o-meechee-wallee. She is the goddess who protects the Lake and everything living along its shore. Teomichihuali was seen as a benevolent deity by the pre-hispanic Coca people who inhabited the area when the Spanish arrived. Above, she blows a gentle breeze across the Lake, while holding a lit candle in her outstretched hand, Below her, three women lounge on the lakeshore. One of them holds up an infant to suckle at the goddess' breast. 

Several nymphs perch in a tree while pouring jugs of water onto the ground. Three turtles, sacred in pre-hispanic times, climb the roots of the tree toward the nymphs. The feeling of this scene is very peaceful and sensual. I am often startled at the murals that appear on local elementary school walls. They often contain nudity and sometimes images that are quite violent. All this would probably cause a considerable uproar among parents at U.S. schools, but it doesn't seem to faze Mexican parents or their kids.

Another image of the Lake Goddess appears over the main door of the school. This image is particularly complex. A Great White Heron flies to the left of the goddess and a large parrot soars on the right. Surrounding her neck are a pair of large hands, from which a torrent of fish spills into the Lake.  One of her extended arms holds a large rattlesnake, which seems to symbolize natural wildness. In her right hand, she grasps a lever connected to a large industrial complex, symbolizing modern industrial civilization. Some of the other images below her will be shown in succeeding photos. 

A snake, a waterspout, and daily life. From the open mouth of the rattlesnake, a huge trumbo (waterspout) emerges. A similar trumbo occurred in 2007, during our first year here. It hit the lakeshore, resulting in catastrophic landslides down the mountain arroyos. To the left a large búho (owl) spreads its wings, while on the right, a bat glides over the water.  Along the lakeshore a man carries a large basket of sandías  (watermelons) toward a boat partially filled with the fruit. He supports his load with a tumpline, an extremely ancient method transporting goods. Under a palm frond, a woman sits, while eating sandía.

Another of the mural's complex scenes. In a bubble, a campesino (farmworker) tends his crops, which include maiz (corn) and sandía. Below the bubble, a fire rages while a bare-chested young man carrying a staff looks on. In the foreground is a jumble of pre-hispanic clay pots called ollitas. These small pots were used for offerings to Teomichihuali. The Cocas put drops of blood, tears or sacred objects inside, after which the little containers were thrown into the Lake. In modern times, when the water level has dropped, hundreds of ancient ollitas have been found near the shore.

A group of young men cavort under a tree growing on a tiny island. There is much going on here. One youth pulls up a fish as several large schools swarm below the water. Another prepares to fire an arrow at a bird. A third man reaches for one of the fruits hanging off the tree, while his friend pounds the drum in his lap. This scene appears to be a counterpart to the group of young women located on the other side of the main door. No one in either group appears to take notice of the other.

A Sun God exhales light, heat, and a flock of white birds. The Coca people primarily worshipped Teomichihuali, so it is not clear who this god is. However, the Mexica (Aztec) deity Huitzilopochtli was god of the sun, so this may be a reference to him. Below the Sun God, people in a fishing camp, carry out various acts of daily life. While one man eats from a plate, one woman waters a plant while another plays with her baby. A second man heads toward the Lake to collect water in a couple of pots. A large fishing net dries in the background. This scene forms the far right end of the mural.

Other murals along the Parroquia

A mound of fruit, framed by maguay plants, adorns the wall across from the school. In the scene, a man loads his boat while others look on. This mural is almost directly opposite the front door of the Marcos Castellanos school. There is no signature, but the style is almost certainly that of Efrán Gonzalez. This work seems to celebrate the extraordinary fertility of the land around Lake Chapala. Most of these fruits can be found growing on the lakeshore. There is a window in the wall to the left of the mural where freshly squeezed fruit juice can be purchased.

A skeleton and a friendly-looking pooch guard this door. This mural is a few meters to the right (west) of the school mural. Part of it extends over the top of the entrance of the Plazapato shoe store to the mural's right. The composition is a direct reference to Dia de los Muertos. There is the skeleton, of course, but also the profusion of marigolds and ten lit candles. I previously mentioned the significance of skeletons and marigolds, but the candles are also important. They light the way for deceased relatives who seek to reunite with their living counterparts for a brief visit.

A beautiful portrait of a much-loved pet. This is so detailed and lifelike that it probably represents a dog belonging to the artist or the person who commissioned the mural. The name "Honey" is on the dog's heart-shaped tag. Given the mural's context, it is very likely that this is a memorial to dog who has passed over to the next world. The bereaved owner may be hoping for a visit from the former pet on the Day of the Dead. The artist is Abril Durán her mural is dated 2025. She titled her work El guardian fisico y espiritual ("The physical and spiritual guardian").

A young girl joyfully kicks over a basket of flowers. The various flowers and plants above would be recognized by anyone who regularly walks the streets of this pueblo. I have always liked this mural's energy and vivid colors. It is actually one of the older murals in the area. An accompanying sign says "Lake Chapala Garden Club, 40 years on Lakeside, 1977-2017".  The dates suggest that it was completed in 2017, but there is no artist's signture. The mural was painted on an extension above the sidewalk near the intersection with Calle Colon.

This concludes Part 3 of my series on Ajijic's mural art. 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 be sure to include your email address so that I can respond in a timely fashion.

Hasta luego, Jim