One of my best works, this piece is inspired by the historic context of Cesar Chavez's commitment to civil rights, activism, unionizing, and his stature amongst Chicanos.
I used Mexican tile as the background to illustrate motifs that relate to these themes. The tile composition is inspired by woven basket patterns which can be found from cultures everywhere but also speaks to the union of community and how the interlocking of one another creates strength. Aside from the cultural aspect of the tile, it also has a down to earth feel which points to the grassroots organizing that he was known for.
I added Nopales (cactus) in the background which reiterates his cultural ties but also emphasizes resilience and growth. In some of the tiles there are painted motifs, like a grape that is crossed out to signify one of his most famous civil rights actions which was the boycott of grapes. You'll also notice there are several tiles with Huelga birds that are repeated throughout. As you may know, the Huelga bird was the symbol for labor strike by the group he represented. I repeated them to signify the union of people across different work sites and was inspired by the phrase 'birds of a feather flock together'.
Some other smaller motifs are to show a sense of place...i.e. palm trees, California poppy, and roses for bloom. Finally, I designed his jacket with a sort of ribbed pattern which is inspired by bird feathers and the rows of crops that you see in farms.
There are two versions, Sky Blue background, and Earth (Golden Brown Background).
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