Celebrating the Afromexican Cimarrón Graphic Arts

Gráfica Cimarrón gathers a selection of prints produced by children, young people and professional artists at the Cimarrón Cultural Center, founded in 1995 in the community of El Ciruelo in Pinotepa Nacional, Oaxaca. This cultural center is one of the epicenters of the current social movements for the recognition of Afro-Mexican peoples.
Thanks to various efforts, the Museo Nacional de Culturas Populares was able to reprint in 2019 a broad selection of the original plates to make this exhibition. This endeavor not only brings the artworks produced in this important cultural space to a wider audience, it also helps preserve and honor the memory of our afro-descendant peoples.
"El Cimarrón" was a cultural center founded by Father Glyn Jemmott, originally from Trinidad and Tobago, who fostered the creation of permanent and itinerant workshops in art, storytelling, music and dance in several coastal communities of Oaxaca and Guerrero under the motto "Learning for freedom". His actions helped reinforce Afro-Mestizo identity among the population of the region.

Danza tortuga (2019) by Elder ÁvilaMuseo Nacional de Culturas Populares

To learn is to be free

Arteza (2019) by Autor no identificadoMuseo Nacional de Culturas Populares

The Son de Artesa has its origin in the state of Guerrero during the viceregal era where the people under enslavement from African descent would listen to the Spanish music coming from different festivities in the distance. The need to have a place of dance and celebration spurred the creation of this platform, which as made from parota trunks and carved on their sides were zoomporhic figures, like the bull, horse or lizard.

El Son de la iguana (2019) by Ayde RodríguezMuseo Nacional de Culturas Populares

Bailando con diablos (2019) by A. NicolásMuseo Nacional de Culturas Populares

Los bailes tradicionales de “Los Diablos” son característicos de las comunidades afrodescendientes de la Costa Chica, que se llevan a cabo en las celebraciones de Días de Muertos.

Sin título (2019) by YuyeMuseo Nacional de Culturas Populares

Los vaqueros (2019) by Autor no identificadoMuseo Nacional de Culturas Populares

Sin título (2019) by YuyeMuseo Nacional de Culturas Populares

La negra (2019) by Autor no identificadoMuseo Nacional de Culturas Populares

The Cultural Center Cimarrón is composed mainly of women and creating graphics allowed them to reinforce and reconstruct their identity as part of the afro-mexican community

La negra (2019) by Autor no identificadoMuseo Nacional de Culturas Populares

Sin título (2019) by Autor no identificadoMuseo Nacional de Culturas Populares

Sin título (2019) by Víctor PalaciosMuseo Nacional de Culturas Populares

Sin título (2019) by Autor no identificadoMuseo Nacional de Culturas Populares

El borracho (2019) by Autor no identificadoMuseo Nacional de Culturas Populares

Sin título (2019) by Autor no identificadoMuseo Nacional de Culturas Populares

Sin título (2019) by Autor no identificadoMuseo Nacional de Culturas Populares

Costa Chica is located in the community of el Ciruelo in Pinotepa Nacional, Oaxaca and is one of the most fascinanting and culturally rich regions of the country. It is the coastline nestled between Acapulco, Guerrero, and Puerto Ángel, Oaxaca, which has one of the largest settlements of afromexican population.

Sin título (2019) by Autor no identificadoMuseo Nacional de Culturas Populares

El mercado (2019) by Víctor PalaciosMuseo Nacional de Culturas Populares

Sin título (2019) by Autor no identificadoMuseo Nacional de Culturas Populares

Mercado (2019) by Autor no identificadoMuseo Nacional de Culturas Populares

El peón (2019) by Elder ÁvilaMuseo Nacional de Culturas Populares

Vendedora de plátanos (2019) by Autor no identificadoMuseo Nacional de Culturas Populares

Sin título (2019) by Víctor PalaciosMuseo Nacional de Culturas Populares

El ataque (2019) by Victor PalaciosMuseo Nacional de Culturas Populares

Sin título (2019) by Víctor PalaciosMuseo Nacional de Culturas Populares

La tortuga (2019) by A. NicolásMuseo Nacional de Culturas Populares

The zoomorphic motifs are an important motif in the graphic production and are used to either refer to work, respect, or empathy for their environment,

Credits: Story

Museo Nacional de Culturas Populares. Mexico City

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.

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