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ArtWork Details
This piece pays tribute to the Mayan priest — an ancestral and spiritual figure from Chichicastenango, symbol of wisdom and the bridge between the earthly and the divine. Painted in acrylic on canvas, the work explores the visual richness of ceremonial attire, elevating its forms, textures, and symbols through a bold color palette dominated by deep reds and vibrant warm and cool accents.
The composition centers around the movement of line: curving, flowing strokes that guide the viewer’s eye in a rhythmic, almost trance-like manner, echoing the chants, drums, and sacred dances of ritual. Texture plays a key role — with thick layers of paint and expressive brushstrokes that sculpt the headdress and ornaments, inviting a near-tactile experience.
The red background symbolizes spiritual fire, while the geometric and circular motifs orbiting the priest’s figure allude to the cosmic cycles of the Mayan calendar. The painting is not a literal portrait but rather a mystical representation of the spiritual power carried by the ceremonial guide, whose presence both commands and embraces.
This artwork is a gateway to the sacred — an attempt to capture the intangible spirit of a living culture that resists time through ritual and artistic expression.
by Joel Batz
- Year: 2025
- Techniques: Acrylic
- Size: 90cm x 120cm / 35.43" x 47.24"
90cm x 120cm / 35.43" x 47.24"
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About the Artist
Joel Batz
He was born in 1975 in the city of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. His artistic career began at a very young age. He moved to Mexico City as a teenager and started as a miniature sculptor, influenced by his brother Rigoberto Batz, a plastic arts painter who graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Mexi... Learn more