User:Tletxayacoatl

'Brujo de la Mancha'

Artist's Statement:

A multidisciplinary, self-taught artist. My mission as an artist is to awaken the spirituality in the human mind through an approach utilizing the arts that emphasize a connection between nature and today's modern society.

My Artwork is what it make my self, it just what it comes to me. I made art just to make art for my own needs. As someone who didn't have the privilege to go to art school, for me art is about my own experience, not about the training. This is what makes an artist. All the mistakes of my life, my own interpretations, and my concepts of how to describe the universe my own universe that make me an artist.

I transform discarded objects into works of art that manifest experiences viscerally rooted in my subconscious. My sculptures and puppets draw on the southern Mexican traditional art of Alebrijes, a Paper Maché or Wooden sculpture depicting demons, trolls, animals, and other mystical or magical creatures. I work in a wide range of media, including Sculpture, Painting, Drawing, Puppetry, Ceramics Clay Flutes, Native American Aztec Dance & Music, Digital Video, Music & Photography and Non-profit Art Management.

In 2003 I did Co -found OLLIN YOLIZTLI CALMECAC (OYC) an Aztec Dance Troupe and non-profit organization where the “Mission is to investigate, understand and raise awareness of the MEXICAYOTL culture, which flourished in Mexico prior to the arrival of the Spanish in 1492.”

Biography: I am an multidisciplinary, self-taught artist. Born in Mexico City in a mixed Mexican Indigenous and Spanish working class family. In my childhood, during visits to my father’s family around Xico, Veracruz in Mexico, I experienced the surviving Mayan, Olmec and Catholic cultures, traditional farming, and popular crafts that represent and express the life of the indigenous Mexican people. Later I cultivated a sense of freedom to express my personal dreams and reality by immersing myself in indigenous cultures in the states of Oaxaca, Veracruz, Puebla, Michoacan and Tlaxcala. I grew up believing and experiencing independent thinking, realizing that people are rich in resourcefulness in their own power for self-control. My paternal grandmother migrated from Xico, Veracruz to Mexico City before I was born, and I have continued this family experience with my own migration to Philadelphia ten years ago, where I have joined the diversity of lives and cultural exchanges of this city. In Mexico a great emphasis is placed on the connection between human beings and the natural world. In 2007 I got my Aztec name “Tletxayacoatl” (The Snake with the Face on Fire) in a summer solstice ceremonial in Chicago with Master “Ocelotcoatl” (The Jaguar & Snake) and Master “Xavier Quijas Yxayotl”. I also won a grant from The Institute for Cultural Partnership to learn how to make “Tlapizcalli” clay flutes with the Master “Xavier Quijas Yxayotl”, my first formal training in art. I have continued this work on my own making a clay instrument called the “Ehekachiktli” -The Dead Whistle- an instrument that is very old. My artistic name BRUJO DE LA MANCHA was giving to me by my friends through my artistic development. My name, Brujo, means "witch" in Spanish. Because transformation is a magic power that humans have inside. I encourage people to focus on the present, to recycle and embrace what they have around them now.

I WILL EXPRESS MY SELF IN ART TO LIVE AND CREATE.

''Goals: a) Cultural Exchange. b) Popular Arts in education. c) Nonprofit Arts Management. e) Art Therapy.' By having this type of goals it will reach my main goal that is to reach out to diverse communities and staying connected to my community it will help me to understand the vast diversity in the workings of the human mind, just as art helps people to understand themselves and to realize their potential.

Performance History:

I have been performing for over five years as the co-founder of Ollin Yoliztli Calmecac, Philadelphia’s first arts organization to teach indigenous Mexican culture, language and dance.

In 2008, highlights where the "Puerto Rican Panorama" the station decided to put the show of TV in the World-wide Network. They decided to begin with this presentation! this will live in history: that first Puerto Rican Panorama in crossing the entire world in the Network has been the Aztec show. : -) As well in The African American Museum in Philadelphia, the Penn Museum as part of the "Summer wonder" and the "Google works Reading PA"

In 2007, highlights where at the Kimmel Center Inc. for the performing Arts Academy of music, for the Summer Solstice Ceremony, and “The Fall of the Bellybutton of the Moon” with Master Xavier Quijas Yxayotl, free for the community.

In 2006, highlights included “The Fall of the Bellybutton of the Moon” festival, a four-day master class in drumming and Clay Flute, by The Master Xavier Quijas Yxayotl, culminating in a performance at the Wilma Theater; and our performance at Philadelphia’s International House at the premiere of our documentary, produced with the help of Scribe Video.

In 2005, we performed Aztec Dance Ceremonies with other Native American groups, at the National Museum of the American Indian, in Washington, DC; for Hispanic Heritage Month at the State Capitol in Harrisburg; and in support of the Spirit of the Seventh Fire traveling Native American show. The high point of 2004 was our Dance Ceremony for the opening of the Cacao exhibition at the Academy of Natural Sciences.

Other Performance as guest:

The Fringe Festival: Mirror Dance Company: Fringe Live Arts Festival 9/2007 Principles of Uncertainty was created as a working model for large-scale multimedia events, utilizing scientific theories and structures to generate per-formative experiments from various creative disciplines. The work is adapted to each location, and incorporates dancers and musicians from the community.

''Earth Charter Community Summit: University of the Arts: “Dystopia/Utopia + Elements of Change” 10/2006 At the University of the Art Performance as main dancer and some choreography

Mexican Cultural Center: Lila Downs Benefit Performance: 6/2005 Provided opening Aztec Drum performance for this show to Benefit college-boun Mexican high school students. In the "Ethical Society building in Philadelphia".

“Carnivolution”: Circus Sideshow Tiberino Museum, Philadelphia, PA'' 2003-2008 Take part as clown and music back ground