As a young
man, Lorenzo González Chavajay was able to get a job with the San Pedro city government
because he could read and write Spanish, something that men of his father's
Tz'utuhil-speaking generation could seldom do. After retiring from that career at the age
of 60, Lorenzo began drawing with pencil the events that he recalled from his lifetime,
many of which involved customs that were no longer being practiced. A friend suggested
that he start painting in oil, which he first resisted doing because of the expense; but
once he finally began working in oils, his art came alive.
Alms, 1992
9" x 12", digital iris print on paper
edition of 99
Despite his
naive drawing style, Lorenzo's attention to color and textile makes him perhaps the most
deeply Guatemalan of all the region's painters. As so often happens, his art went
unappreciated in his own town, especially among better-trained artists. When the Arte Maya
Tz'utuhil curator first visited him, his studio was full of unsold paintings, but Arte
Maya acquired most of them and brought him long overdue artistic validation. Thus
encouraged, Lorenzo undertook larger canvases, revealing a power in his work that had been
less apparent in the smaller paintings. Unfortunately, soon after starting an ambitious
series of large works, he contracted a liver disease that proved to be chronic. He died in
March of 1996. He was 68 years old, and had been painting for only seven years.
Day of Conception Procession, 1992
20" x 24", digital iris print on canvas
edition of 45
The three
musicians from Nahualá came down from the mountains to the villages of Lake Atitlán.
They include a flute (chirmilla) player and two drum (tambour) players. These musicians
existed in the earlier part of the 20th century, and are captured here, as they would have
played in various festivals around the lake.
Musicians from Nahualá, 1992
9" x 12", digital iris print on paper
edition of 99
Cofradía de Sololá, 1992
18" x 24", digital iris print on paper
edition of 60
This work captures a scene that no longer exists in Mayan
culture. The cofradías (guilds) are beautifully rendered in their patterned attire,
holding candles and palm leaves. Lorenzo captures a time gone by, where even the old style
roof tiles (with the two little birds) are represented. This work is one of the few that
graphically records this tradition.
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As a young
man, Lorenzo González Chavajay was able to get a job with the San Pedro city government
because he could read and write Spanish, something that men of his father's
Tz'utuhil-speaking generation could seldom do. After retiring from that career at the age
of 60, Lorenzo began drawing with pencil the events that he recalled from his lifetime,
many of which involved customs that were no longer being practiced. A friend suggested
that he start painting in oil, which he first resisted doing because of the expense; but
once he finally began working in oils, his art came alive.
Despite his
naive drawing style, Lorenzo's attention to color and textile makes him perhaps the most
deeply Guatemalan of all the region's painters. As so often happens, his art went
unappreciated in his own town, especially among better-trained artists. When the Arte Maya
Tz'utuhil curator first visited him, his studio was full of unsold paintings, but Arte
Maya acquired most of them and brought him long overdue artistic validation. Thus
encouraged, Lorenzo undertook larger canvases, revealing a power in his work that had been
less apparent in the smaller paintings. Unfortunately, soon after starting an ambitious
series of large works, he contracted a liver disease that proved to be chronic. He died in
March of 1996. He was 68 years old, and had been painting for only seven years.
The three
musicians from Nahualá came down from the mountains to the villages of Lake Atitlán.
They include a flute (chirmilla) player and two drum (tambour) players. These musicians
existed in the earlier part of the 20th century, and are captured here, as they would have
played in various festivals around the lake.
This work captures a scene that no longer exists in Mayan
culture. The cofradías (guilds) are beautifully rendered in their patterned attire,
holding candles and palm leaves. Lorenzo captures a time gone by, where even the old style
roof tiles (with the two little birds) are represented. This work is one of the few that
graphically records this tradition.
Amit May Fine Arts