Gaze of the Dead: A Stunning Seasonal Exhibit at Encinitas Library

 By Lonnie Burstein Hewitt. Photos by Maurice Hewitt, except as noted.

Artist Luis Murguia merging with his La Muerte.

Elegant skeletons welcome you into the lobby of Encinitas Library, just in time for Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, a holiday in Mexico and other Latin American countries that honors departed loved ones and takes place from October 31 to the actual DOTD November 2. These skeletons are called Catrinas, and I was happily able to interview the artist, Luis Murguia, who lives in Escondido.

 

Posing with Catrina Christina,  his inspiration for La Muerte. (Photo by Luis Murguia)

To begin with: a little about Catrinas.

They were originally created in the early 1900s by José Guadalupe Posada, a political printmaker who was criticizing the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz and his high-end supporters who decked themselves out in European styles during the Mexican Revolution.

In 1947, Diego Rivera created a large-scale mural that popularized the Catrina, which gradually became a symbol of the Day of the Dead.

And now, introducing our local Catrina artist: Luis Murguia was born in San José, CA, but his parents decided to move to Tijuana to reunite with relatives there. They never really celebrated the Day of the Dead, but as a child, he was very artistic, and when his family moved back to California in the 1980s, he kept on painting, and friends and family members began commissioning artworks from him.  He even did a mural for a Mexican restaurant in Arizona.

Then, a few years ago, a relative asked him to create a skeletal Mariachi Trio for his family. They had seen something like that at Disneyland, and thought it would be great to have a similar piece for their home celebration of the Day of the Dead. 

“I was just experimenting at that time, looking for new projects, so I thought that would be a good challenge for me,” Luis said.  “I came up with the idea of using PVC pipe for the frame of each piece, which would keep them light. I’d worked with paper maché in school, so I thought of paper maché and cardboard. And when I’m done with a piece, the painted finish looks like ceramic or porcelain.”

The Mariachi Trio (Photo by Luis Murguia)

 At first, he made his own skeletons; this time, he used store-bought skeletons and created the pieces on top of them.  Still, each Catrina can take up to two weeks to make, depending on how detailed it is: fine art isn’t easy.

 Here’s a little about each Catrina:

Libelula. Her name means dragonfly: See her dragonfly wings? 

La Catrina Azul.  Inspired by a Catrina on a Solana Beach poster for a DOTD event several years ago.

 La Tapatia & El Charro. She’s inspired by La Catrina Andante, on instagram, he by El Charro Gonzales, a cultural ambassador for DOTD.

La Catrina Rosa. Inspired by a pink dress Luis’s wife recently received as a gift.

La Catrina Verde & El Catrin. Both inspired by cards in La Loteria.

“When you see a Catrina, it’s a reminder that we all have the same destination, and life is to be celebrated,” Luis says. “And there’s one day a year we can remember and honor the lives of our loved ones who have passed.”

Maurice and I come to visit these Catrinas often: they actually lift our spirits, every time. You can do the same, through January 5, 2027, when the exhibit ends. You can even take one home for yourself—they are all for sale—or commission the artist to create something special for you. Contact him at luis2152@att.net

Catrina/Day of the Dead Exhibit by Luis Murguia 
On view until Jan 5, 2027
Encinitas Library
540 Cornish Drive, Encinitas, CA 92024
760-753-7376. 
Hours: Monday10-6; Tues/Wed 12-7;Thurs 10-6;Fri-Sun 10-5.

 

Lonnie Burstein Hewitt is an award-winning author/lyricist/playwright who has been writing about arts and lifestyles for over a dozen years. You can reach her at hew2@sbcglobal.net