As a kid, I spent many afternoons at the National Museum of Anthropology, where my aunt worked as an anthropologist. I would wander in the corridors of the museum looking at artifacts, hieroglyphics, and statues of great mythological significance, no statue was as monumental as the 10 ft. tall basalt monolith of Coatlicue.

The statue is meant to represent the complexity of the myth of this deity, there are two serpent heads where her human head should be, claws for hands, a necklace made of human hearts and hands, a skirt made of intertwined snakes and rattles, a human skull adorning her belt, talons, and feathers where her feet should be. This statue was discovered and buried on multiple occasions, always surrounded by mystery and myth.

It is visually stunning, terrifying even, and it’s one of the most powerful representations of the complex spirituality of the Aztecs, so when I went looking for inspiration it felt relevant to honor such an iconic piece of Mexican culture.