Tierra Huichol represents an effort to give a proud cultural tradition the ongoing importance it deserves. Tierra Huichol brings to its galleries the artwork of over 100 Wixárika artists.
Families maintain their traditions and preserve their culture while we help them access the raw materials needed to create such magnificent works, allowing everyone the opportunity to own a unique piece of art.
The origin begins with the initiation of ritual art, as it is said that to belong to the specific religious practice of an indigenous group, Huichol art is divided into three universes:
The first is mythology, where the Huichol believe that life began in the ocean; the second is related to corn, where everyday life and Huichol traditions develop; and the third is concerned with mysticism. This last one reveals the Huichol world and Huichol art from their rituals, which distinguish them and give them identity as a Huichol community.
Huichol art is a collection of traditional styles in crafts and folk art. The artists of this style are the Wixárikas. Huichol art has a very unique charm: it connects their religion and worldview with forms and colors to create a distinctive aesthetic. One of the main characteristics of these works is their decoration, which is very striking and colorful, and it also uses various symbols and designs that were created several centuries ago.
We can say that the Huichols are indigenous people. Most of them used to inhabit mountainous areas, which were located to the north of Jalisco and a large part of Nayarit, in central Mexico. Today, it is estimated that there are around 50,000 Huichols in these areas. The Huichols are one of the ethnic groups that has managed to remain "pure" since the time of the Spanish conquest.
The origin of Huichol art lies in an ancestral tradition, where the physical transcription of images visualized by Huichol shamans is passed down from one generation to the next. The mystical and beautiful Huichol culture is located close to Puerto Vallarta, in the mountains of the Sierra Madre Occidental, to the north of Jalisco. The Huichols refer to themselves as "Wirrárrica" or "Wirraritari."
In this beautiful culture, they constantly create enigmatic worlds where the protagonists are moons, suns, trees, labyrinths, spirals, mountains, and cosmic oceans that tirelessly appear expressed in the art, religion, and customs of the Huichols.
One type of artistic expression in Huichol art is yarn paintings, which are made on wooden boards with wax, or pieces that are created by forming figures with beads on bowls, violins, turtles, and so on.
These handcrafted works can be classified into two types: those made for commercial purposes and those that reflect religious experiences.
Another expression is the works made with beads or yarn, each featuring symbolic motifs, stories from Huichol culture, and Huichol legends of their cosmogony, offering us a view of Huichol society.
