The Shell in the Clouds by Pavel Acevedo

Ma' concht' do't nub't in Zapotec (El caparazón en las nubes or The Shell in the Clouds) is Pavel Acevedo's culminating exhibition as Self Help Graphics' Beyond the Press artist in residence. Pavel's residency began in mid-January 2020 and was interrupted by the pandemic hit.

These themes are visually conveyed through mythological characters inspired by the Zapotec stories shared by the artist's grandfather.

The exhibition's title, The Shell in the Clouds derives from the belief that their rulers descended from supernatural beings who lived among the clouds and that when they died, they returned to there. For this reason, Oaxacans are known as the "People of the clouds." These centuries-old stories have inspired Pavel's practice and are interwoven throughout his work.

For example, the nahuales in When we fight, We Win or in El grabador/ eating fire represent wild animals forced to adapt to the urbanization and eventually become active participants in a new system- much like migrants who move from one country to another.

For Pavel, the prints in this series are a celebration of the rebelliousness that is part of ourselves. Since living in Oaxaca, he participated in protests, and seeing them in the U.S. inspired his work throughout his residency.