Abigail Merickel – Tonantzin (Zapotec Earth Goddess)

Artist Statement



Tonantzin is the Zapotec Earth Goddess. She was supplanted by Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Spanish conquest. Her face like a sun or a flower surrounded by plants and a hummingbird connects her to nature. I was also inspired by the Zapotec love of children and textile design. My creative process is intuitive. A sense of adventure spurs my exploration into divergent themes—from identity and place to the mystical, earthiness to the divine. The allure of colorful birds, the vigor of animals, the radiant power of ascendant women and the generative forces of Earth inform my work.

Materials & Technique



Tonantzin is a etching, aquatint, printed a poupee, inspired by Zapotec culture in Oaxaca, Mexico. It is #2 in an edition of 20.