El Guardián (The Guardian)

By Daniel Hernandez

According to a pre-Hispanic Mexican legend, we travel to Mictlán, the place of the dead, after dying. As we journey through Mictlán, we progress through 9 different levels with the help of a guard dog named Xolo, as depicted in the artwork. Other symbols of the piece include the Zenzontle, a mockingbird representing the human soul; the axolotl, the Mexican salamander, which describes the confrontation with death itself; and the cactus, representing our resilience to live in hostile environments.⁠