Memory In and Through the Body
This series explores the ancestral technology of the Medicine Wheel as a framework for investigating the knowledge systems of the female body and their relationship to the Earth’s intelligence. Grounded in practices of embodiment, shamanic ritual, and Indigenous methodologies of working with wild clay, the series emerges as both a spiritual inquiry and a material exploration.
Site: Dainzu Ruins Oaxaca, Mexico
Videographer/Photographer: George Volpe
Photographer: Reyes Cruz
The Wheel at the Dainzu Ruins in Oaxaca, Mexico. 2023.
The South, 2023, Red clay harvested in San Marcos Tlapazola, mamey seed, copal, coral, jicama, and a tree branch.
The North, 2023, Red clay harvested in San Marcos Tlapazola, mamey seed, and copal.
The West, 2023, Red clay harvested in San Marcos Tlapazola, animal bones, stones, copal, coral, and a tree branch.
Reverence to the West. Performance Shot. 2023.
Reverence to the South. Performance Shot. 2023.
Reunion through the Umbilical Cord. Performance Shot. 2023.
About the Artisan
Rosario Cruz
Rosario Cruz is a Zapotec artisan native to San Marcos Tlapazola in Oaxaca, Mexico. She has been working with barro rojo for over 30 years. Her artisanal tradition was passed down to her by her mother and continues to be a female tradition in her family lineage. She has had the opportunity to travel to the states to share her artisanal craft in Washington, Illinois and New York. She continues her artisanal practice in her home welcoming people from all over who are interested in being a student of barro rojo.
