Colibríes de Calakmul (Hummingbirds Round the Jade Mask)

This contemporary painting owes its inspiration to something extraordinarily ancient. At its heart is one of the finest jade funerary masks ever discovered—a masterpiece of Maya craftsmanship dating from approximately A.D. 660–750. The first time I traveled to see it, I was eager to stand before the original in the museum that housed it. Unfortunately, the treasured mask had been loaned to another exhibition, and I left disappointed. Yet perhaps that disappointment only deepened my fascination with this extraordinary work of art.

The elegance, mystery, and remarkable craftsmanship of the mask stayed with me long afterward. Rather than attempt a literal reconstruction, I wanted to create something more personal—a contemporary painting inspired by one of the greatest artistic achievements of the ancient Maya. My goal was to combine realism with a modern sensibility while honoring a civilization whose artistic accomplishments continue to inspire more than a thousand years after they were created.

The hummingbirds play an important symbolic role in the composition. I included exactly thirteen of them, a deliberate reference to the sacred number thirteen in Maya cosmology, where it represented the spiritual order of the universe. Hummingbirds themselves held special significance throughout Mesoamerican cultures, admired for their astonishing vitality and often associated with life, spirit, and the divine. Together, the ancient jade mask and the thirteen hummingbirds create a bridge between the distant past and the present.

Several fellow painters have asked what colors I used to achieve the luminous green of the jade. The answer is a rather long list. There was no single magical pigment, but instead a carefully orchestrated combination of transparent and opaque colors, layered and adjusted over many hours. Capturing jade is far more difficult than matching its hue. The real challenge is suggesting the mysterious light that seems to glow from within the stone itself. It was one of those paintings that demanded patience, experimentation, and countless subtle decisions before it finally came to life.

Today the painting hangs in my own living room, one of the few works I would be perfectly content never to part with. I enjoy the contradictions it embodies. It is firmly rooted in realism, yet it feels contemporary. It is inspired by an ancient civilization, yet speaks in a modern visual language. Those contrasts are precisely what attracted me to the subject.

Above all, this painting was created with profound respect—for the remarkable Maya artists whose work inspired it, and for the country I have been fortunate to call home these past four years. Living in Mexico has given me a deep appreciation for its extraordinary history, rich culture, and artistic heritage. In many ways, this painting is my small tribute to both: to one of the world's great civilizations and to the beautiful country that continues to inspire me every day.