Intertwined with Death

Jahaira Cunningham ´25

This was a personal adaptation of the classic painting "Self Portrait with Death Playing the Fiddle.” Rather than just Death behind me, I painted my interpretation of the Mayan God of Death. This was a way to honor my ancestors, while also approaching the common fear of death. I've always found it amusing that humans fear the one aspect of life that is actually guaranteed, as I was raised to not fear death, but rather to be comforted by its presence. I made sure to include the national feather and flowers of Mexico and Nicaragua, as those are the countries I am from. I also make an effort to emphasize Moctezuma's headdress that is still currently being held in Austria, as they refuse to return multiple Mayan and Aztec belongings.