Rhett Neal
I
have loved Calaveras and Dia de los Muertos imagery since the first time
I saw a little clay figure of a skeleton in a beauty parlor getting her
hair done. I started collecting these small figures and decided to check
out a book from the library written by Armando Cid. Inspired by the
book, I then started to make paper mache skeletons and paintings and
felt a strong connection with my own Mexican heritage that my family
lost due to my grandparents wanting to become as American as apple pie.
Creating this kind of imagery helps me to feel my deep Mexican American
roots as well as showing a visual sense of life and death in a way that
tells us death is just another step in the journey we all must take,
without it being such a somber thought. I only hope that when my time
comes, someone out there who knew me turns me into a paper mache or clay
Calavera dancing, painting or even hosting a dinner party!
