Archinect
Sheila Arocha

Sheila Arocha

Miami, FL, US

anchor
Concept Statement
Concept Statement
10 more images  ↓

Wixarica Cultural Center

What a better way to represent Mexico than by exploring the traditions of one of the oldest living groups in the country, the Huichol Indians from Central Mexico. The “Peyote People”, how they like to call themselves, still
follow the old ways of their ancestors. Religion is a way of life in the remote land of the Huichol Indian. Today they are nearly 20,000 Huichol Indians living in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Central Mexico and they are belief
to be the only Mesoamerican population who has managed to maintain their aboriginal culture unchanged. Their distinctive visionary art work is all hand-made, and the technique is passed on from generation to generation.
Beaded masks and prayer bowls are some of the elements that make up Huichol’s art work, and of course the marvelous yarn paintings which is the main source of inspiration for this project. These brilliant luminous designs  are understood by the Huichols as direct messages from the gods. As an outsider, I see them as a direct link
to humanity’s ancient past. The geometric intricacy of their art reflects the patterns of primordial archetypes    present within each of us. They are a tangible manifestation of their translation of our physical world. After
analyzing numerous examples of their art work, I decided to based my design approach on the three main characteristics that best represent the visual stimulus this art pieces produce on the observer. Wixarica Cultural Center was born from a long tradition of elaborate flexible-patterns.

 
Read more

Status: School Project
Location: Washington, DC, US
My Role: Designer

 
Concept Inspiration
Concept Inspiration
Concept Development
Concept Development
Space Planing
Space Planing
Rendering & Materials
Rendering & Materials