Age-old Battle

About this painting

When I was a kid, I liked looking through obsidian stones. In Mexico City you can find them in markets where they sell Indigenous and Aztec-inspired crafts. I once had a sword my mum bought me, with an obsidian stone set at the top. It reminded me of the swords Aztec warriors used to fight with. I remember holding the stone to the light and seeing those beautiful gradients of reddish and brown.

That memory shaped this painting. The dark base recalls obsidian, while the yellow, orange and vivid tones suggest life and light shining beneath the darkness, just like the title of the book Itstetl Tonatij: Obsidian Sun.