Yo Soy Maiz print
This is a 12 X 18" digital print of Veronica's painting entitled "Yo Soy Maiz". "Yo Soy Maíz" is a self-portrait. The bottom half of this painting is back dropped with an earthy shade of red, indicative of the color of the soil found in Veronica's parents’ hometown of Jesús María, Jalisco. The inclusion of the land in this painting also honors our Mother Earth, Tonantzin. Growing from this rich soil are plants of corn, which have provided the most important source of sustenance in Native America for millennia, and is sacred to indigenous people since it is believed that we are made of maize. For over 7000 years maize has been one of the most important foods for different people living in Mexico including the Aztecs; it was crucial for their survival. There is also a maguey plant, which was revered as a highly medicinal plant for the Nahuas (Aztecs/Mexica). The leaves of the maguey were also mashed into a paper for Aztec “codices,” pictorial books written to pass down their history. A brilliant sun, Tonatiuh, rises from the horizon as a reminder that each day brings new possibilities of conocimiento (learning) and vision. The sun rays are also represented by the feathers on the copili (headdress) that she is wearing, because it is believed that every human being carries his/her own sun within. The top half of the painting includes symbols that represent one of Veronica's cosmic guides (miquiztli/death on the far left), one of her daughter's birth symbols (cuetzpalin/lizard), as well as one of her son's birth symbols (akatl/reed), and Mayahuel (on the far right) who is the guardian of the maguey plant and spirit companion of those born on the day of tochtli (rabbit), as Veronica is. The butterflies represent the spirits of departed loved ones, Veronica's babies who were born sleeping and who now dwell in Mictlan, the land of the dead. It is believed that the spirit of our loved ones visit us in the form of butterflies and hummingbirds. Superimposed on this multilayered background is an image of Veronica dancing in full regalia. On her arm is inscribed the symbol representing xochitl (flower), also one of Veronica's birth symbols. In creating this self-portrait, she wanted to convey the most important elements that encompass who she is; a daughter, mother, danzante, artist, and proud descendant of the Mexica people.