Mexican Murals – A Frida Kahlo Mermaid

Continuing my series on amazing Murals I keep coming across in Mexico, let me show you one right by the main beach access of Mazunte. Playa Rinconcito is not even the biggest beach in this town, but the one you can get to by walking down the Calle Rinconcito, which just happens to be the main tourist mile. Looking back from the beach, the last place is the chess bar (just behind the motorcycle). Along the stairs leading down to the sandy beach is an interesting mural.

Frida Kahlo, or Generic Oaxacan Folk Style

At the far left end of the mural we see a somewhat familiar looking face. It may actually be the famous Mexican painter from the mid 20th century, Frida Kahlo, who claimed Oaxacan roots herself, and liked to dress and portray herself in the traditional Oaxacan folk style, which can still be frequently seen in this part of the world. But even if the lady displayed in the mural is not supposed to be her, it also looks a lot like a beautiful indigenous girl from this region.

The flower behind her is straight from the imagery that can be seen on dresses and handkerchiefs embroided in this traditional design. The eight-pointed star, however, is another indigenous symbol more commonly associated with the cultures in Northern Mexico, such as the Huitchol. Never mind, though, the forms and symbols don’t take away from the beauty of the whole picture. On the right end of the mural we see the green tail of a fish, which is curved in a way to suggest that it is in fact the tail of this lady, whether she may be Kahlo or not.

Who’s the Artist? And Why Is He Crossed Out?

On the blue surface on the right side of the image, the artist left a few tags and identifying links to his social network sites. A careful look under the green spray paint reveals his name to be Irving Cano, and the only lettering that has not been blocked out is Mazunteño, indicating that he should be actually from Mazunte.

For some reason, however, some people may not agree to consider him as such. Of course, we can’t know the actual reason why someone (whoever it was) decided to block out his name. One thing to acknowledge, however, is that they did not vandalize the art itself, only the artist’s name.

Sure, I’ve heard it times before, that the original people Mazunte don’t even consider Mexicans from other parts of the country as theirs. In fact, they are treated just like other “others”, may they be from California, Italy, Spain, or Guadalajara. Wait, Guadalajara IS in fact Mexico! Have I been living her too long?

Mexican Murals – A Frida Kahlo Mermaid

Frida Kahlo, or Generic Oaxacan Folk Style

Who’s the Artist? And Why Is He Crossed Out?

If you liked this, check out my developing series on Mexican murals: