Description
“Pre-Columbian Spirits”
This painted canvas symbolically depicts elements that allude to the glorious ancestral culture of the Brunka people known as the Diquis culture. The central element is the powerful and enigmatic kan basat (in the Brunkajc language, the archeological stone monuments from the Diquis era – large, near-perfect spheres). Gathered about the sphere are depicted ancestral Brunka chiefs, as well as ‘chiefs’ of their respective realms: the harpy eagle, of the sky realm, the jaguar, of the terrestrial realm and the crocodile, of the watery realm.
This is a mystically charged painted canvas by Melvin González, famous Brunka mask maker, ceremonial diablito participant, and more recently, prolific and recognized painter. Melvin has already established his name internationally for his carved masks, but more recently González is cultivating acclaim for his highly detailed painted canvas work; he typically depicts regional flora and fauna as well as themes exploring Brunka cosmology and history. This painting (acrylic on canvas) is part of a series of paintings that González has created exploring the representation of historic and legendary themes of the Brunka.
- Tribe: Brunka
- Artist: Melvin González
- Location: Southern Pacific Watershed, Costa Rica
- Size: 21 3/4” x 29” (55.5cm x 74 cm)
