Ever since I was a child, I always loved animals of every kind, and drawing them has always been a passion of mine. My goal since I was 7 years old, also as a first-generation student and daughter, has been to study and become the first veterinarian in my family. When it comes to creating art, I’ve always found animal anatomy and nature fascinating and I tend to integrate a mythical aspect to most of my art work.

Over my winter break, I traveled to Guadalajara, Mexico to visit my extended family. I’ve always wanted to see the archaeological sites because another interest of mine is learning about history and culture, and I got the opportunity to go to Mexico City. Although at the beginning I had awful art block and had no idea what to create, while visiting Mexico I got inspired by the variety of Alebrije handcraft designs, painted with intense colors and intricate patterns. The materials I preferred to work with were acrylic paints, and what I challenged myself with was putting on multiple layers of paint. However, in the end, it made the colors stand out which I was impressed by because I haven’t worked with bright colors before.

I love that each Alebrije is special because no two are ever alike and in my culture, Alebrijes are entities that guide spirits and can pass among the land of the living and the dead. This painting is an expression of the cycle of survival in nature. My art piece is a fusion between a puma with an Alebrije design that goes against the folk tale that their purpose is to guide and protect throughout a soul's life with the representation of the Hare, which symbolizes the cycles of life and death.