Mhil, Textil Series
MHIL STATEMENT
In Mhil, I take the Mayan concept of zero as my starting point. Zero marks both the completion of a cycle and the beginning of another, which means fullness: a moment that holds what has passed and the possibility of what comes next.
I work with jute and cotton, using cords as lines for ancestral connectedness. I give importance to the fibers and the spaces between them as an exploration of emptiness, memory, and transformation.
I introduce gold-painted wooden cubes to evoke the mythological power of the sun and its sacred cosmic order in our pre-Hispanic cultures.
Their cubic shape meets the organic character of the cut canvas. My piece relates to the legacy and materiality of our territory in Latin America, past and present.
Through Mhil, I reflect on our contemporary place within these cycles that point to renewal and permanence.
MHIL is an artistic interpretation inspired by mih or mihil, terms associated with the concept of zero in Classic Maya culture. Historically represented through hieroglyphic symbols, including a shell-like form, zero marked the completion of one cycle and the beginning of another. By adapting the word to MHIL, I explore the relationship between emptiness and fullness, continuity and transformation, connecting ancestral knowledge with my contemporary artistic practice.
From the Mhil Series
From the Mhil Series
From the Mhil Series
Source:
These are the academic sources supporting the explanation of MHIL, distinguishing historical evidence from your artistic interpretation.
1. Maya Hieroglyphic Database (CMGG)
Maya Glyph Guide: MIHMaya Hieroglyphic Database
This database documents mih and mihil as terms associated with zero in Classic Maya writing, along with their hieroglyphic representations.
2. David Stuart (2012)
The Calligraphic ZeroRead David Stuart’s research
Maya epigrapher David Stuart examines the different representations of zero in Maya writing and their linguistic interpretations.
3. Academic Research on Mesoamerican Mathematics
Non-power Positional Number Representation Systems, Bijective Numeration, and the Mesoamerican Discovery of ZeroRead the academic article
This study examines the development of zero in Mesoamerican numerical systems, including the shell-shaped symbol used in Maya mathematics and calendars.
4. J. Eric S. Thompson (1950)
Maya Hieroglyphic Writing: An IntroductionRead the academic book
Thompson discusses representations of zero in Maya writing and their relationship to calendrical periods.
Historical Context and Artistic Interpretation
The relationship between zero and the completion of calendrical cycles has a historical basis. However, interpreting zero as a symbol of emptiness and fullness, endings and beginnings, continuity and transformation belongs to your contemporary artistic and philosophical interpretation.
Likewise, MHIL is your artistic adaptation, rather than a historically documented Maya spelling.