Tribes
Identity is not a solitary state; it is a vital architecture of ancestral resonance and spiritual luminescence.
Tribes explores identity and belonging through the Zapotec understanding that each person is accompanied from birth by an animal spirit: the toná as guide throughout life, and the nahual as presence beyond the earthly realm into eternity.
Conceived through the intrinsic characteristics of each character, these works serve as unique and unrepeatable maps of identity, vibrant with color and life. By bringing these companions into shared pictorial space, the series unfolds as narrative portraiture in which human and animal presences give presence to invisible bonds shaped through time and memory.
Tribes - The Vibrant Pulse
2025
Acrylic on canvas
100 × 100 cm
This portrait unfolds within a vibrant nocturnal jungle, a symbolic landscape where the family’s Argentine roots meet a profound connection to the mystical traditions of Mexico. Each figure appears accompanied by their toná—badger, iguana, dog, and serpent—manifesting their inner strengths as visible guardians.
Beyond them, their nahuales remain partially hidden within the lush vegetation, extending the image into a parallel presence shaped through time and memory. Together, they are positioned within a shared continuity where the elegance of the figures and the wild energy of the night blend into a singular, enduring lineage.
Private collection, Argentina.
Tribes - The Luminous Offering
2024
Acrylic on canvas
100 × 100 cm
This portrait unfolds within a luminous landscape, where a family of four is captured in a moment of profound symbolic exchange. Each figure appears accompanied by their nahual, extending their presence beyond the visible into a shared emotional terrain.
The composition is structured through gestures of care: while the parents remain quietly linked, the daughter offers a flower toward her brother—a radiant act of affection that articulates the scene. Throughout the vibrant vegetation, their tonás appear dispersed, while a shared guiding presence connects the two children, weaving a bond that moves between individuality and deep companionship. It is a narrative space where relation and continuity shape the portrait from within.
Tribes - Inherent Echoes
2025
Acrylic on canvas
100 × 100 cm
This portrait brings together a family of five within a shared symbolic landscape, where the presence of their toná and nahual structures the scene. The father appears as a frog and the mother as a deer—double guiding presences of protection—while the triplets are accompanied by serpents. Although the children share the same animal guide, each figure emerges through a distinct gesture, revealing a vibrant individuality within their shared spiritual inheritance.
Their nahuales—three tlacuaches for the children and an armadillo for the father—remain quietly embedded within the surrounding environment, extending the portrait into a narrative space where continuity and difference are held in a singular, evocative balance.
Private collection, Spain.
Tribes - Fields of Continuity.
2026
Acrylic on canvas
116 × 89 cm
This portrait unfolds in the Argentine countryside, where each figure appears accompanied by their toná, as their nahuales extend across the surrounding field as presences of relation and continuity. The parents stand joined, and the daughters emerge through distinct sensibilities, one shaped by her affinity with horseback riding and the other positioned within a shared continuity that links her symbolically to both parents. A small companion animal reappears within the landscape through the maternal nahual, as a quiet sign of affection and belonging.
Private collection, Spain.
Tribes - Eva and Adalberto.
2025
Acrylic on canvas
90 × 60 cm
This portrait unfolds before an elegant bar of aqua and gold, set against the vibrant stillness of a nocturnal jungle. The couple appears in a moment of sophisticated repose, where the boundary between the civilized and the wild dissolves into a surreal stage for their shared identity.
As the man offers a gentle caress, the woman’s toná emerges in a graceful movement, walking across him toward her partner as a sign of spiritual intimacy. His own toná stands guard on her opposite side, completing a circle of protection and desire. They stand relaxed and flirtatious, captured in a world where their nahuales extend into the night as presences of deep relation and symbolic continuity.
Private collection, Mexico.
Tribes - The Resilience of the Bloom.
2025
Acrylic on canvas
90 × 60 cm
This portrait unfolds before a tranquil lake and the deep green of distant mountains. The figures appear accompanied by their tonás, manifesting their inner strengths as visible presences.
The mother is accompanied by the iguana, a sign of her innate capacity to adapt and overcome any transition. Beside her, the eldest son stands in a moment of quiet renewal, his toná of the fish reflecting fertility and the steady continuity of the family line. The younger son is linked to the eagle—a powerful presence of authority and vision. Together, they are positioned within a vibrant landscape where the warmth of the sun and the abundance of the surroundings reflect the enduring vitality of their bond.
Private collection, USA.
Tribes - Shell we talk? (High Style, Slow Dial).
2025
Acrylic on canvas
90 × 60 cm
This portrait unfolds before the iconic silhouette of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, where a young woman is captured in a playful, flirtatious conversation from a red telephone booth. Amidst the movement of the London crowd, her guide appears as a profound presence of stability and resistance.
The Turtle manifests here as a protective and rebellious master, granting her the security to innovate and act according to her own criteria. While the city moves with haste, the turtle symbolizes the patient strength and constant work required for the continuity of life. Together, they are positioned within a shared narrative where the spontaneity of the modern moment meets an enduring foundation of intelligence and quiet authority.
Tribes - The Sovereign’s Heist.
2025
Acrylic on canvas
90 × 60 cm
This portrait unfolds before a traditional sentry box in England, where the solemn stillness of a King’s Guard is disrupted by a moment of defiant playfulness. A young, adolescent Owl—acting with a mischievous freedom—has playfully snatched the guard’s hat to wear it as his own, leaving the soldier frozen in his disciplined immobility.
The Owl manifests here as a vibrant emissary of the underworld, a messenger between the sacred and the mysterious. Despite his playful nature, he remains a guardian of ancestral knowledge, possessing a profound perception that looks far beyond the visible. As a wise counselor and a creative spirit, he challenges the rigid silence of the guard with his own untamed liberty. Together, they are positioned within a shared narrative where the weight of tradition meets the insightful, unpredictable wisdom of a young spirit.
Tribes - The Ancestral Beat.
2025
Acrylic on canvas
130 × 81 cm
This portrait unfolds across the iconic zebra crossing of Abbey Road, where a family’s journey is reimagined through the lens of legendary musical history. Each figure steps into the role of a Beatle, yet their essence is articulated through their own distinct personalities and spiritual guides.
The mother leads the crossing in the spirit of John Lennon, her Serpent nahual manifesting as a presence of maximum power and leadership. Following her, the eldest son—a football enthusiast—steps into McCartney’s stride, accompanied by the insightful presence of the Owl. The daughter brings a playful rebellion to the scene, dressed as George Harrison and performing a handstand, while her Turtle nahual offers a foundation of stability.
Closing the line is the father, perfectly in character as Ringo Starr, accompanied by the Frog. In this symbolic terrain, the Frog acts as a powerful anchor of abundance, fertility, and prosperity, bringing a sense of transparency and good luck to the family’s path. Together, they are positioned within a shared narrative where the legacy of London’s music meets the timeless, symbolic continuity of the family line.
The narrative continues. New works are added as the inquiry evolves.