José Benítez Sánchez

Alma Colectiva presents 30 yarn paintings mounted on board by the Wixárika artist José Benítez Sánchez, one of the most important representatives of this genre. His remarkable plastic ability to incorporate and convey the cosmogony of his people allowed his work to transcend borders, exhibiting in Japan, Canada, and various cities across Europe and the United States. Through perseverance and talent, he became a distinguished representative of the artistic traditions of the Indigenous peoples of Mexico.

José Benítez Sánchez, Yucaye Kukame or “Silent Walker” (1938–2009), was born in San Pablo, Nayarit, and began creating his first works around 1963. He recalled: “I couldn’t draw the figures as they were, but I began to reflect again on the lives of our grandparents, our parents, and their customs.” By 1968, he was recognized as one of the finest interpreters of Wixárika art and was invited, along with other companions, to perform and dance their music during the Mexico City 1968 Olympic Games.

— Alma Colectiva