Photo by Vero Wang (2022)
Catalina Lopez is a visual artist based in Claremont, California. In her art, she reflects on her childhood where Mexican culture and traditions were often practiced in her family.
In 2022, she began to work on an art theme that involves learning and understanding Mexico's indigenous and cultural history. By using memorabilia belonging to her family, primarily her grandmother who was from Guadalajara, Jalisco, she visually presents what she learns through her paintings. She reflects on the significance of tangible objects that have a place in cultural history. The use of vibrant colors has long been a hallmark of Mexican textiles, pottery, and murals, and it is a tradition she seeks to honor and carry forward in her own work.
Her latest paintings make use of still life arrangements using family-owned memorabilia as reference. The items she gathers are commonly found in the Mexican household, and they tend to have their own stories and significance in her family's memories. By reflecting on her childhood memories and embracing the vibrant colors reminiscent of Mexican folk art, she hopes to create a body of work that speaks to the shared human experience while honoring the beauty and diversity of Mexican culture. She wants her paintings to symbolize the intergenerational passing down of traditions and the creation of new memories.
Aside from being an artist, Catalina is also a university librarian, which has helped expand her learning of Mexican culture. Her artistic exploration extends beyond her personal experiences and embraces the rich cultural history of indigenous communities in Mexico. Engaging in comprehensive research, she has discovered a profound connection between indigenous artifacts and their significance in contemporary Mexican society.
Revisiting my memories of my grandmother Maria has compelled me to create paintings using items passed down by her. It involved reaching out to family members who held onto some of her belongings to borrow them. I am currently making paintings using my grandmother’s old cookware as a reference, such as her mortar and pestle (molcajete) made out of lava rock, and a molinillo, a wooden whisk used to make Mexican hot chocolate. I like the concept of combining pieces from the past and present in my paintings to convey the passing down of traditions and adding new memories.
Another body of work involves creating paintings inspired by indigenous artifacts from Mexico that I learn throughout my research. One such art piece is Sunflower Shield (2022) which is a painting of a sunflower with an Aztec shield. As I was researching the origins of the sunflowers, I found that they were used for decorating Aztec armor.