El Mundo de 

A El Mismo

Feeling a gold, unfolding hand on me 

A El Mismo is an offering that references a historical past, looking to create an echo through a mindful and contemporary lens, while suggesting a theoretical alternative to a stolen ancestral future.

Born out of reflections of my families’ immigration to the United States from Cali, Colombia through Mexico in 1985, these thoughts became the foundation for these presented artifacts.

I reflected on my relationship with my family, my heritage, and started pulling from my own experiences growing up in the United States as a first generation American/Colombian. I experienced life on a type of border, una frontera constantly; teetering between the “American” self and the “Colombian” self. Never American enough for this, never Latino enough for that. This led to the realization that in my recent years, I had begun to suppress my Latinoness, as a result of feeling a pressure to “fit in” with the Anglo-Americans in my life. Following that, came the realization that not just me, but my family, and our people’s thoughts, beliefs, ideologies, religion, cultural practices, concepts of beauty, sexuality, gender, and language, el español are all inherited traumas as a result of Spanish Colonization.

 I’ve got no option, I’ve inherited this.

Outside of all of this, who were we? Who was I? What version of me would exist had history been different? Would there even be an alternative me?

No. I wouldn’t exist. I am a byproduct of Spanish Colonization. Tengo sangre española. I am a byproduct of Blanquimento.

This practice of looking into our historical past, to learn and dream about another time, to “meet” my ancestors, mirrored the very human experience of dealing with past traumas to move onto a better future with the self, El Mismo.

To discover within this space, is two years of work that resulted in the creation of 30 objects which explore, build, and bring to life this notion of a stolen ancestral future. Re-imagining a timeline where the Spanish Colonization of what is now called Latino America hadn’t occurred, the objects in this space manifest the possibilities and offer a visual narrative to what Pre-Hispanic cultures from Colombia, like the Musica, might have looked like had they had the chance to thrive into the 21st century.

Pieces are brought to life through portraits of mi Abuela, mi Abuelo, mi Mama, mi hermano, y, yo mismo. Giving flesh to the ancestors, while honoring those that lead to my being here.

Mi cuerpo es una continuación de sus cuerpos.

 Embellished with staples, grapas, in an array of black, grey, silver, copper, and gold, the pieces echo the technical artistry of my ancestors’ metal work, and their respect to the process.

 El oro se extrae de la tierra, se transforma, se usa, se hace símbolo y vuelve a la tierra como ofrenda.  

We want to be known to ourselves, a nosotros mismos, with grand self mythologies.

The world of A EL Mismo exists in a fictional place called Perdida, a land conceptualized by referencing Colombia’s geographical & historical past as the foundation for the world building.

Below, we are introduced to 11 Aspects that reside within Perdida, they will be our guides as with each new encounter, a layer of knowledge about the creation of this alternative world will be revealed.

Click through images to explore close up details.

La ofrenda.

Aspect No. 1 - El Pensamiento.

To start our journey through Perdida, we begin at the origin, with deep purposeful thinking.

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In the Kaggaba’s creation story (also known as the Kogi/Kogui, today’s descendants of the Tairona, a Pre-Hispanic culture and peoples of Colombia from the region of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in present-day Cesar, Magdalena.) it implies that before the material world came into existence, everything was created in Seyn Zare, the place where Though and Memory live. In the transparent dark space of thought, is El Pensamiento.

El Pensamiento is our starting point, the point of origin and creation where all else grows from - all other Aspects, ideas, words, all visuals.

This dark space of thought is visualized through a language of black staples and elongated fringe embellished artifacts, all consuming objects that shroud the subject in a space all their own.

El Pensamiento is manifested by the following future relics -

• La Manta Negra - A 9ft long wool blanket with alternating black + grey staples and a 32in fringe trim at both ends.

• V Shorts en Negro - A black staple embellished pair of linen shorts with fringe detailing.

• El Bolso Negro - A black linen baguette clutch with black, grey, and silver staple detailing, and a 32in fringe trim.

• Camiseta Gris - A double layered jersey tank top with a crotch drape detail.

Aspect No. 2 - El del Monte.

Within the world of Perdida the inhabitants are know as Los Tumbaga, El del Monte is one of the Tumbagas that hails from the Silvered Sector.

Expanding on the concept of A El Mismo’s alternative timeline, one where peoples and cultures in what is now known as Latino America had flourished if Spanish Colonization hadn’t occurred, there would have been a natural exchange of cultures, cross influences, blending of cultures, evolutions of practices, traditions, and philosophies of so many Pre-Hispanic cultures.

In the spirit of that concept, El del Monte drew inspiration from the ruins of Monte Albán, one of the earliest cities in Mesoamerica, a region that flourished over 1000 years before Spanish Colonization just outside of present day Oaxaca.

This Aspect introduces the exploration of built-in patterns within the stapled textile, with a silver “step” motif.

It also introduces an internal carrying strap coming from the cropped jacket., exploring modularity in both wearability and creating new silhouettes, allowing the jacket to be worn down and “off the shoulder”.

El del Monte is manifested by the following future relics -

• El Saco de Monte Albán - A black + silver staple embellished cropped jacket with an internal carrying strap.

• El Chaleco de Monte Albán - A black + silver staple embellished elongated vest.

• Camiseta Gris - A double layered jersey tank top with a crotch drape.

• Los Pantalones de Seyn Zare - A black staple blocked linen drop-crotch trouser.

Click below to view moments of Perdida.

Here we conclude our journey through Perdida, for now.

But soon, new Aspects will make themselves known, expanding on the world of A El Mismo with a Part 2.

Gracias, se cuida.

- Christian

Below are translations, and more in-depth information and references on the design and visual language found within A El Mismo and the world building of Perdida.

Translations & references:

• El Pensamiento - The Thought. - A reference to Seyn Zare, the black space of Thought + Memory, the beginning point of this project, where all stems from.

• El del Monte - The One from the Mountain. - A tribute to Oaxaca + Monte Albán, where the idea for A El Mismo was born.

• El Plateado - The Silvered One. - In part, a tribute to mi Mamá, who always wears silver, but also in reference to one of the alloys that makes up the tumbaga metal.

• El Cobreado - The Coppered One. - A reference to one of the alloys that makes up the tumbaga metal.

• El Quimbaya - The Quimbaya - A reference to the Pre-Hispanic culture, where I gained the knowledge of the tumbaga alloy.

• El Guardián - The Guardian. - In the world of Perdida, this Aspect, with a mix of Copper + Black staples is meant to represent a Tumbaga of higher regard.

• El Gran Tumbaga - The Great Tumbaga - In the world of Perdida, this is the ruler, or zipa of the Coppered Sector, Los Cobreados.

• El Serpiente - The Serpent - A reference to the creation story of the Muisca, when Bachué turns into a serpent.

• El Regreso - The Return - A narrative representation of Bachué and her child taking the form of serpents when they return to Lake Iguaque.

• El Iluminado - The Enlightened One - A contemporary take on the Kogi’s dress, a visual representation of their enlighten state and connection to Nature.

• El Dorado - The Golden One - A reference to the Muisca’s inaugural ceremony of the crowning of the new Zipa, as shown by the Musica Raft artifact.

Words + Translation:

• Tumbaga vs. tumbaga - When speaking of the inhabitants of Perdida, I use Tumbaga, and when speak of the metal alloy that inspired the fictional peoples, I use tumbaga.

• Tumbaga - the name for a non-specific alloy of gold, copper, and small amounts of silver given by Spanish Conquistadors to metals composed of these elements found in widespread use in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica in North America and South America.

• Perdida - Direct translation is “Lost”. The name for the fictional world of A El Mismo was pulled from the archeological site Ciudad Perdida, (locally know as Teyuna) located in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Colombia. It was a site that was originally inhabited by the Tairona, founded about 800 CE, it consists of 169 terraces carved into a mountainside, a network of tiled roads, and small circular plazas.

• Zipa - The Muisca Confederation consisted of two rulers, the Zipa who was based in the south, and the Zaque to the north.

• Tunjo - Small elaborate figures crafted by the Muisca from the tumbaga alloy, they were used in religious instances as small votive offerings.

• A El Mismo - Direct translation is To Himself.

• Los Divinos - The Divine Ones - The deitites of the Tumbagas.

• Los Plateados - The Silvered Ones - Inhabitants of the Silver Sector of Perdida

• Los Cobreados - The Coppered Ones - Inhabitants of the Coppered Sector of Perdida

  
  

Color:

• Black Staples - A reference to Seyn Zare, the transparent dark space where Thought and Memory live. This is visualized with black staples set into black linen, in large all consuming objects that are meant to shroud the subject in a space all their own. Further expanding on this dark space is the exaggerated fringe detailing, to visualize threads of thoughs and ideas, always going in many directions but originating from a single source.

• Copper + Silver staples - A reference to the alloys that are mixed with gold that make up the tumbaga alloy. The Tumbagas are the peoples that reside within Perdida, living either in the Copper Sector, Los Cobreados or the Silver Sector, Los Plateados. When the two Sectors come together in worship, they manifest their deities, Los Divinos.

• Gold Staples - A reference to the tumbaga alloy, which is made up of silver, copper, and gold that wasn’t abundant in some Pre-Hispanic regions. In the world of Perdida, the Aspects in gold are a personification of Pre-Hispanic beliefs and deities, brought to life when the Tumbagas come together in worship.

  
  

  Textile:

• Notice the Silver and Copper stapled pieces are always set into a black fabric base (either linen or wool), this is to make reference that those Aspects are tied to Seyn Zare, the dark space of Thought and Memory, the point from which they have originated. As opposed the Gold stapled pieces are always set in brown and other earth tone fabric bases, this choice is to reference the Muisca practice of always returning the gold metal back to the earth in the form of an offering. In the world building of Perdida, this sets Los Divinos apart from Los Tumbaga, one faction being the Divine, and the other Human.

  
  

  Referenced Cultures & Peoples:

• Muisca - A native peoples of Colombia found in the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, they flourished 600 to 1600 CE. Before the arrival of the Spanish, it is estimated that there were between 500,000 to 3,000,000 Muisca at their peak. Today there are just over 10,000 Chibchas in Colombia.

• Quimbaya - A small indigenous group that inhabited areas around the valley of the Cauca River. They are most noted for the accuracy , detail, and developed advanced metallurgy techniques. A majority of Quimbaya gold work is made from tumbaga.

• Tairona - A native peoples of Colombia that occupied the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta region in present-day Magdalena, they flourished between 200 CE and 1600 CE. Today descendants of the Tairona continue to live in the lands of their ancestors. These modern-day Tairona are called the Kogi, Arhuacos, Wiwa, and Cancuamo.

Forth Coming

• In depth exploration to the jewelry found throughout Perdida, the world of A El Mismo.

• In depth exploration to the development process of A El Mismo.

• Collecting the pieces of A El Mismo.

Earrings and Narigueras by Hew Jewelry

Photography by Heather McGrath.