Nestled in a corner room of Kresge Art Museum is a display that brings warmth and expression from our neighbors to the south.
In "Obras de México: Images of Hispanic Life and Culture," five pre-Columbian sculptures are encased alongside 16 prints and photographs to create a small, yet varied collection.
All the artists in the exhibit are either Mexican or have been active with their artwork in Mexico. What is evident upon entering the exhibit is that the subjects of the art are particular to the culture.
Kresge intern Katie Greer coordinated the exhibit to showcase art that hasn't received as much attention in North America.
"It's reflecting a very different culture. A lot of the art draws upon those traditions," Greer said.
In "Manos Poderosas," or powerful hands, the Zapotec people are shown holding hand-shaped tree branches. The tradition is derived from a pre-Columbian custom in which they would find tree branches that look like a hand and carve them so the resemblance was even stronger.
Some of the works reflect the topsy-turvy climate of Mexican politics. Leopoldo Méndez's art looks at politics, war and corruption. A 1948 Méndez painting shows a sinister-looking political leader profiting from corn collected from peasant farmers.
Featured in the exhibit are lithographs by José-Clemente Orozco, whose art reflects his views of the Mexican Revolution. He worked with David Alfaro Siqueiros, who also has art in the exhibit, to make murals. The two also worked with Diego Rivera, whose mural breathes life into a wall of The Detroit Institute of Arts.
French-born artist Jean Charlot, who has a lithograph in the collection, spent some time making art in Mexico. His work reflects that immersion in the culture.
"When you know more about the world that you live in, it makes you see things differently … It seems there's just a richer experience to life," she said.
