Antonio Lopez Vega - Friday December 19th and Saturday December 20th, 2014

For those of you who were able to join us last night, a sincere "Gracias".  The afternoon started tranquily, then built to a lovely, intimate circle of legend telling, introspective art conversation and fun.

Our sincere appreciation goes to hosts Jennifer Stanley and Thom Weeks, who allowed us into their warm home-in-progress.

What a deep pleasure it is to know someone like Antonio Lopez Vega who is now a friend. This is a great artist who has been working for 40 years.  He is someone who has walked fearlessly through the landscape of his mind, observing intently. Then intently observing his culture and people and their history.  Then beautifully and fantastically displaying his perceptions in his unique way for others to learn from and glory in.  He is a rebel, utterly integrous in his life and work and almost unknown because he has so little interest in being known, one of the great undiscovered artists of Mexico. He is deeply permacultural - he works with what is around him and continually searches the byways for interesting artefacts to work with. Yes, he makes art out of trash.  I wish you could meet him. I think you would enjoy him immensely.

                                              - Brad Mowers, Ajijic Jalisco Mexico  December 20th, 2014

We do hope you can join us for our next installment of Art Xik Xik.  More info on future events to follow.

Paz y Amor

Maestro Antonio Lopez Vega

Maestro Javier Zaragoza

Javier Zaragoza

Art Xik Xik Master Art Lecture Series

Quetzal Restaurant, Chapala

Saturday Nov. 8th, 2014

With an open heart and broad smile Maestro Javier Zaragoza greeted our guests and shared original concept drawings for his mural.  The warmth of his sincere salutation was felt by all.

Javier Zaragoza's work was displayed for all to appreciate, complete with a beautiful backdrop.

His life's work and trajectory were recounted with humour and humility.

And the afternoon smiled upon our captivated group.

The group moved out to the mural on the carretera for an anecdotal filled description

The Maestro shared with us how he found his models...mostly through family and friends.

Being in situ presented its own challenges...mainly competing sound from passing traffic.

At the end of our special afternoon, the sky opened and twilight sang in the evening.

A true "Thank You" to all who supported and attended our special gathering.  We'll be posting future lectures soon.  Paz y Amor.

Jesus Lopez Vega

An evening of intimate dialogue with local artists will be the theme of Art Xik Xik.  Focusing on local artists of renown, this series will be held in provocative settings throughout our village of Ajijic and surrounding areas.   The evenings all start with a fine cocktail and appetizer reception catered by some of our best culinary establishments.  The featured artist will then present their work and hold a question and answer session afterward.  Musical entertainment will follow.

Our inaugural gathering took place on Saturday August 30, 2014 at 5 p.m. at the Centro Cultural on Ajijic Plaza. As we entered the gallery space we were gifted with the accomplished, beautiful sounds of classical guitar maestro Chuni Medeles, accompanied on violin by his son.

Appetizers were prepared by Graciela at Sazon Restaurant and were quickly devoured.

The inaugural lecture featured our own Jesús Victoriano López Vega.  Jesus Lopez Vega is a self-taught artist, who was born in Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico.   He was one of the inspired children whose artistic career began at an early age, when he started painting at the children’s art program at the Lake Chapala Society in Ajijic, Mexico, which was established by the writer and benefactor Neill James.



Maestro Jesus Lopez Vega spoke of the retrospective muralist movement in Mexico, provided a bit of Mexican history, touched on his own experiences both in Mexico and the U.S.A.  Throughout his knowledge based presentation he took questions from the audience and imbibed the evening with personal anecdotes.

We then were invited to move to the central staircase mural so that Maestro Lopez Vega could walk us through its creation, the challenges he faced in painting the 3 story mural, it's symbology, iconography, etiology. and its importance to our community.

Maestro Lopez Vega spoke in English explaining his mural “The Birth of Teo-Michicihualli”.  The official inauguration of the mural was on July 25, 2008. 

WHAT THE MURAL REPRESENTS  TEO-MICHICHIUALLI - TEO - deity, MICHIN - fish, CIHUALLI - princess

This mythological mural represents the fertility of Lake Chapala as a young princess. Thousands of pre-columbian artifacts were thrown into the lake in her honor, to give thanks for abundant water, fish, birds, and to maintain the good climate and the rainy season. They say that she sends the winds from the four different directions NEWS - north, east, west and south, to keep the waters circulating and in harmony.  Teo-michicihualli was furious, especially when the moon was full. She would punish the lakeside inhabitants by taking (absorbing) water from the lake through a water spout, creating a big dark long cloud, known by the local people as a “water snake”. This phenomenon would hit the mountains causing a huge thunder storm with lightening. In it's path, this water spout would destroy the nearby villages.  The moon, the lake and the woman were a common TRILOGY because of their monthly cycles. Each month the moon becomes full. Women have their menstrual period. Sometimes local people still get scared at the month of May's full moon, just before the rainy season starts, afraid that a disaster could happen. The lake gets choppy, eventually creating big waves, throwing out from its waters organic waste, some dead animals or human remains, thus turning the water crystal clear.  People created calendars of agriculture especially cycles of CORN crops from this TRILOGY. Their ceramics show cycles of corn cults, painted with oxide red paint and some engravings with symbols of water on ceremonial ceramics.  The mural was inspired from the above information. There also are other minor deities represented, like "cihualli" the corn god who is a feminine figure shown with corn around her body.  "Tlaloc" the rain god is throwing a water spout from his mouth and giving birth to his daughter "Teo-michicihualli". "Tlaltecutli" a feminine goddess represents the earth and the universe. The skulls and bones represent the underworld which is where the universe was created and settled down at the beginning of times. The rest of the mural is the immigration of the first people to settle Ajijic - the "COCA'S" tribe coming from Teo-pantitla, the pre-columbian ATL-XIK-XIK, AXIXIC, Ajijic, as well as the different villages like MATZA-MITLA.  The first conquistadores came in 1523 to the south shore of Lake Chapala, then TZOYA-TLAN, TZAPOTLI-TLAN. Mescala, etc., the Scorpion Island known as the RAPABILLA-META. A sacred place of Lake Chapala from the WIXARIKA tribe, known locally as the HUICHOLES.  By Jesus Victoriano Lopez Vega  October 12, 2009 - (day of the Spanish Invasion in 1523)

In addition, Maestro Lopez Vega showed some of his canvas paintings and new works.  Sales of his work were available throughout the evening.

We wish to thank all those people who were present and whose help made this event possible.

And don't forget to look for our next event posting coming soon!

Paz y Amor.