Roots and Traditions Exhibition

The Roots and Traditions Exhibition by the Artist Rino is in honor of legendary ancestors and the evolutionary magic of traditions that were enriched over the years; nurturing and showing the Mexican culture to the world.

The Roots and Traditions Exhibition is a journey into various Mexican cultural traditions, fables and legends. Through Rino’s artistic compositions, the public will journey through various Day of the Dead traditions such as the “calaveritas” skull characters, the underworld and its lord Mictlantecuhtli, and the “alebrijes” spirit animals. The journey takes the public through ancestral roots with legends of the mystical Aluxes from the Mayan culture, and through the influence of nature and beliefs and its relevance to present day life. 

The Roots and Traditions Exhibition brings the public back to the roots of Mexican art techniques such as the popular art “cartoneria” technique (using papier-maché, cardboard, and paste);  traditional clay modelling, and the use of natural elements such as recycling wood,  roots, trunks, and branches.

The Roots and Traditions Exhibition was presented in Gallery 55 of the Ottawa Byward Market from October 1 to November 12, 2024 as part of the Day of the Dead Festival.