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Mayra Aviña is a local Denver based artist. She identifies as Chicana and Hopi and her pronouns are Ella/she/her(s). Mayra paints a window into her Mexican and Indigenous roots, inviting viewers a look into her culture and what brings her joy.
For the Women in their Infinite Forms exhibit, she presents her interpretation of Ixchel, a Mayan Goddess that was revered as the goddess of the moon because of her feminine character. She represented the fertility linked to the earth, due to the fact that the cycles of the moon are those which determine the times of planting and harvest. She was also associated with the rains and the Maya rain god Chaac. Ixchel also is the protector of departed souls.
Mayra is inspired by this Goddess as she symbolizes different forms of women since the moon has different shapes and phases and Ixchel appears in different phases from young to old. As well as how women are able to create life, if they choose to. Moreover, women are sacred and bring both nurturing care and protection.
What you’ll also find in this art piece are a nopal or cactus, representing the resilience all women have as it’s a resilient plant that blooms and bares fruit; an Alebrije dog, representing a mythical animal that accompanies those that have departed; a marigold that is an integral flower during the Día de los Muertos ceremonies, believed to create a path for ancestors to visit their loved ones on alters; and a rabbit and snake that are associated with Ixchel.
Mayra Avina is a Chicana watercolor artist in Denver, CO. She paints a window into her Indigenous and Mexican roots and what brings joy. She is a self-taught watercolor artist and enjoys painting as a way to connect with her ancestors and as a self-care practice. Mayra also paints moments of peace, ceremony, and elation. Her goal is for her art to spark joy within the viewer.
Photo by: Brooklyn Astle
