Mark of Cain

About the painting

Mark of Cain is a painting born out of my experience immigrating away from home, the meaning of community through culture, and that same culture, which is integrated by systems that express the same variety in ways oppression is manifested in the past, present, and future.

The name is a reference to the biblical passage of the mark Cain received from God for murdering his brother and cursing him to roam the world eternally with this mark to signify his sin. The mark on his body is a symbol representing exile; however, throughout history, this mark has been used to justify many acts of racism, ethnic cleansing, and injustice towards people oppressed by institutions to justify their actions as an act of “purification”. This is a direct reference to the roots of Mexico’s colonization by the Spanish and their goal to meld and change the “sin” of originating from an indigenous/non-colonial world, in color, customs, and art; a practice that is still alive and active today.

The name Cain originally means “to acquire” if seen from Hebrew lexical origins; however, various translations of the King James Bible in other languages have a meaning closer to “worker” or “artisan”, a main theme in my piece. In my painting on the left side of the dyptique are representations of the culture, community, and history. In this side of the composition are dancers, people with traditional garb, and symbolic references to the Mexican Revolution. In front is an artisan holding up a ceramic pot with a face. The face and entire conglomeration of figures, seen from afar, form a whole figure representing a famous traditional doll known by many names, such as Maria, Lele, or Donxu. This doll carries traditional clothing, which has a deep cultural significance in Mexico’s history of arts and culture.

On the right side of the Dyptique, the various manifestations and representations of Mexico’s past and present of colonization, corruption, and religious imposition. These symbols represent the unattachable stains history carries. For example, the upside own boat with soldiers inside to represent a monster of marching and continuing acts and attitudes that colonization engrains into society, an angel with a sword engrained in the buildings corner to represent the religious inquisitions and the integration of Catholicism into government institutions, and a portrait of Porfirio Diaz, one of Mexico’s most controversial presidents who remained in power for over 30 years and imposed many changes which affected marginalized groups of the population while being one of the main catalyst of the Mexican revolution in the far right corner of the painting.

This piece is a scope of a complex relationship one has when looking, missing, and experiencing one’s roots. As an immigrant outside of Mexico, the feeling of absurdity crept in, a surreal feeling that was felt when leaving as well as going back into what was once home. In these feelings, a part of me yearns to be surrounded by the warmth and vibrancy of my culture, yet it contrasts with violence, poverty, and corruption. This led me to speculate whether two opposing ideas in complete contradiction would cancel each other out or one would outlive the other. I realized the concept of juxtaposed realities living amongst each other, even against each other, can conform and build the lives of entire generations, social groups, and cultures.

Other Projects

Check out more of my work at Here