Contemporary Paintings of Mayan Masks by Alex Ariza 2009

 

Mayan Bat Mask, Acrylic Painting on Board 12 x 12 inches, Alex Ariza 2009

This painting presents a stylized bat mask rendered in warm earth reds similar to terracotta pottery and sculptures, and ochres against a contrasting cool blue ground, evoking a visual language of ancient Mesoamerican sculpture. In Mayan art and mythology, the bat was a powerful and complex symbol, most often associated with death, the underworld, sacrifice, and transformation. Bats symbolized darkness, night, and the boundary between life and death. The ancient Mayans believed passing through darkness (the underworld) was necessary for renewal, fertility, and cosmic balance.

Golden Mayan Mask, Acrylic Paint on Board 12 x 12 inches, Alex Ariza 2009

This painting depicts a stylized Mesoamerican ceremonial mask rendered in luminous golds and ambers, floating against a rich violet background. The Maya viewed gold as a material closely associated with the sun, and gold objects were often described as the “excrement of the sun” or “sweat of the sun,” emphasizing their sacred origin. Gold was used for ceremonial masks, headdresses, nose ornaments, ear spools, and chest plates to signify a person’s role as a mediator between the human and divine realms.

Jade Mayan Mask, Acrylic Paint on Board 12 x 12 inches, Alex Ariza 2009

This painting presents a ceremonial mask made from jade, rendered in cool blue-green tones and set against a vivid red background. The face is frontal, symmetrical, and architectonic, built from rounded geometric forms that echo carved stone and polished mineral. Jade was considered a sacred material in much of Mesoamerica, associated with life force, breath, water, fertility, and regeneration. The saturated red background suggests blood, sacrifice, and vital energy, intensifying the tension between life and death. 

Wooden Mayan Mask, Acrylic Paint on Board 12 x 12 inches, Alex Ariza 2009

This painting of a wooden monkey head features bright red and orange wooden textures against a bright green background for contrast. Mayan creation mythology described monkeys as failed attempts by the gods to craft humans. Monkeys represented the mischievous and creative sides of human nature. They symbolized scribes, the arts, drinking, and dancing.