Javier Ortiz Gopar
Nickname: Aguila (Eagle)
Zapotec (Indigenous) and Spanish heritage
Dad: Spanish but born in Mexico City
Mum: Zapotec
Lives in Oaxaca
“Because of my Zapotec heritage, it makes me feel
root to this land.
I feel more connected and proud to be part of that
culture.”
Zapotecs have occupied the Oaxaca area since at least
1500 b.c. In pre-Spanish times the Zapotecs had
developed one of the earliest writing systems in
Mesoamerica (ca. 500 b.c)
The Zapotecs call themselves bene zaa, which means
either "the native people" or "the cloud people."
Their governing elite believed that they descended from
supernatural beings who lived among the clouds, and
that upon death they would return to the clouds.
I chose to digitally print a zapotec print of fish onto Linen
and weave it through Aquila's skin. I like the crossover between
old and new, (weaved prints and technology), as I believe they
strangely need each other to flourish. The old cultures need the
contemporaries to tell their stories, and the youngsters use culture to
enrich their life and purpose. However they will always
re-create it so its more relevant now and this is what I enjoy playing with
visually, modernising and creating my own versions of this slice of history.