Rayos Magos
“My name is Rayos Magos and I identify as a Latinx/Chicano male, mixed-media artist born and raised in San Jose, CA. My body of work focuses on symbolism, healing, spirituality, psychology, and social justice. My background is in Counseling Psychology with a specialization in Expressive Arts Therapy. I use art to explore personal narratives and universal themes. I identify as a mixed media artist because I fluidly create between mediums such as collage, printmaking, painting, and sculpture. Each medium brings out certain aspects of my psyche, while mixing all the mediums allows me to integrate these aspects of my personality and create in a liberating way. As an Latinx artist I am constantly inspired by culture, people, identity, and the roles we play in society. My past and present work has been influenced by my own investigation into my ethnic and cultural identity as a Chicano (Mexican-American/Latinx) person living in the U.S. I grew up as a 3rd generation Mexican-American, which informs the work I make and speaks to this unique bicultural experience. I make work for the community with the intent to bring hope, joy, love, compassion, empathy, motivation, awareness, and community building through imagery. Some of my notable accomplishments have been being a featured artist in Content magazine and having my artwork on the cover page, having two pieces of art in the Mineta International Airport, to creating a digital mural that went up in San Jose Shark Tank, to presently completing a public artist residency with the city of Palo Alto, which will result in a 7x5ft metal sculpture in front of city hall. Lastly, I would say deciding to dedicate my time to being a full-time artist has been another accomplishment as I continue to grow and take on risks as an entrepreneur. Each day my arts practice continues to develop and grow ever more professional.”
Interior Design
“Semillas de la Tierra (Seeds of the Land)” is a symbolic representation of two of the most hardy and vital plants of Mexico, the cactus and maize. Each plant symbolizes strength, life force, and resilience.
The cactus is a symbol of sacrifice, endurance, and hope. The cactus is what led the Mexica or Aztec people to Central Mexico known as “Tenochtitlan” translated from Nahuatl as “the place where the prickly pear grows.” The cactus was used medicinally and nutritionally for healing and sustaining its people.
Maize was another praised staple at the center of Mesoamerican culture, due to the plant being cultivated, which helped sustaining villages during famine.
The maize plant became associated as a sacred element and central point of origin for these indigenous cultures. The Mesoamerican origin stories are built around the myth of the gods giving them a kernel of corn to grow and sustain their society, while other creation stories believed that humans were created from maize. As a result, there are various representations of feminine and masculine deities associated with maize, which serve as symbols of the different phases of the plant.
The hands act as symbolic cultivators and offer praise to the plants. In ancient Mesoamerican culture these plants were revered and utilized for multiple uses.
The image in totality signifies the sources of life, strength, and resilience.
Exterior Design
““Ofrenda del maguey” is a representation of the maguey plant, which is a symbol for resilience, long life, and resistance. The maguey plant is known to be resistant to high and low temperatures and has the ability to store large amounts of water.
It is one of the oldest plants to be used by Mesoamerican hunter-gatherer groups.
In ancient Mesoamerica, maguey was used for a variety of purposes such as obtaining fibers to make ropes, textiles, sandals, materials, and fuel. The maguey heart was consumed as it holds carbohydrates and water. The stems of the leaves were used to make small tools, such as needles. The Aztecs/Mexicas had a specific goddess deity for this plant, named Mayahuel. Mayahuel was associated with long life and health, dancing and fertility.
Therefore at the top of the mural is the full moon, which is also associated with fertility and with the maguey heart. The maguey heart is round in shape and holds “agua miel” or honey water, which is white and resembles that of the full moon. Thereby symbolically representing the relation between the maguey plant and the night cycle of life.The hands in this image symbolizes a ritual offering of the maguey plant to the moon. The overall image is an offering of passion, fertility, life, and health.Mayahuel was the Aztec goddess of maguey or agave (Agave americana), a cactus plant native to Mexico, and the goddess of pulque, an alcoholic drink made from agave juices. She is one of several goddesses who protect and support fertility in its different guises.”
