GUADALUPE MARAVILLA

On view in the exhibition is a recent work ‘Mantaray Drawing (2022)’ which draws its title from the depiction on the righthand side of the artist dressed ashes ‘Ghetto Blaster’ character, sitting atop a Manta Ray. Before his family fled El Salvador, Maravilla nearly drowned in the Pacific Ocean but was saved by a Manta Ray. The work evokes this life-altering experience and the power, healing and revitalization associated with water. The drawing also features a retablo painting, depicting the artist in his hospital bed. The Spanish text along the bottom of the painting translates to: “I Guadalupe Maravilla dedicate this with all my heart in gratitude for this second opportunity that life has given me to continue forward on this path as an artist and healer”. The snakes in these drawings reference both the Caduceus staff of the Greek messenger god Hermes, and the Rod of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine. Both ancient Greek symbols are now the dominant symbols for professional healthcare associations in the United States. —excerpt from text courtesy of PPOW gallery.

Guadalupe Maravilla creates intricately layered paintings, large-scale sculptures, and therapeutic performances that draw from his personal history and Central American ancestry. Often resembling mythic creatures or ornate reliquaries, Maravilla’s works examine issues of migration, disease, and generational trauma, while creating new rituals for care, healing, and regeneration. At age eight, Maravilla was part of the first wave of undocumented unaccompanied children to migrate from Central America to the United States. Today, the artist’s work is a means both to process that experience as well as to create healing spaces that address the harsh realities of migration and immigration. Maravilla juxtaposes indigenous and contemporary forms of knowledge, craft, and language in his work, drawing upon the rich cultural legacies of indigenous and immigrant peoples. A teacher and mutual-aid organizer, Maravilla works closely with undocumented and marginalized communities, distributing resources and hosting workshops that provide access to ancient modes of healing, such as herbal medicine, mycology, and sound baths.