The Euphoric Dance of the Unconquered Mind

Elizabeth Jiménez Montelongo

Elizabeth Jiménez Montelongo, Origin (2013) oil on canvas 30″x40″

Artist Statement

The Euphoric Dance of the Unconquered Mind is a series of textured oil paintings of Mexika (Aztec) dancers, who exude energy and power to celebrate the continued existence of Indigenous dance that could not be suppressed by colonial violence. Ultimately, the Mexika dancers from the San Francisco Bay Area carry on the traditions of Indigenous Mexican dance into the 21st century, across social and political borders.

I crop and combine my photographs of dancers in movement to create the composition of my paintings. I apply paint with a palette knife to build up texture for a heavy impasto.

These paintings honor our Indigenous ancestors and our local culture-keepers while inspiring a powerful, liberating vision of the future.