Exploring Maya Mythologies

Priscilla Dobler Dzul, an interdisciplinary storyteller, spins a vivid tapestry of myth, memory, and medium at MadArt Studio through her dynamic exhibition, “Future Cosmologies: A Regeneration of Maya Mythologies.” By intertwining textiles, ceramics, living plants, and auditory compositions, she orchestrates a vibrant narrative installation that dances between the historical and the present, the mythical and the tangible.

Dobler Dzul’s artistry is deeply rooted in her rich, layered heritage, bridging the realms of Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico, and Glasgow, Scotland. This blend of cultures provides her with a distinctive lens through which she explores and critiques the multifaceted layers of identity, history, and human interaction with the natural world. Her creations invite viewers to pause and ponder, especially focusing on Maya practices that resist modern, consumerist relationships with our environment.

“Future Cosmologies” is not just an exhibition; it’s meant to be a journey through interconnected realms of past, present, and future. Ceramic creatures of imaginative design, vibrantly painted in primary colors, stand sentinel alongside unglazed mythological figures and futuristic pods. These pods, brimming with wet clay sculptures, gradually sprout and evolve, reflecting the ever-changing narrative of the installation. La Madre Jaguar, a pivotal figure, whispers tales of world origins, light and darkness, and life’s creation, while the Chaac Rain Ritual immerses you in a multisensory experience of water sounds, both in natural and spoken forms.

Also of note in this exhibit are the extraordinary suspended huipil dresses. Adorned with clay tiles and henequen rope, these dresses, once owned by Dzul’s grandmother, become moving testimonies to the ancestors who transmitted their wisdom and craftsmanship through generations. These pieces tell stories of resilience, legacy, and the continuous thread that binds together women, art, and creation.

Dobler Dzul breaks down temporal boundaries, urging patrons to ponder human actions and their reverberating impacts across generations. She doesn’t simply spotlight the negative imprints left by past actions but proposes a path forward. The artist welcomes viewers to partake in an act of collective nurture, inviting them to water living sculptures—crafted from seeded clay—thus contributing to the perpetually unfolding nature of the exhibit.

In collaboration with MadArt and the MATERIALIZE program, Adetola Abatan, an esteemed artist, curator, and public arts administrator, will participate as a guest curator, shaping and refining Dzul’s exhibition into a resonant dialogue of form, material, and myth.

Check out the “Future Cosmologies” events below:
Open Studio / September 26 – October 18
Exhibition Opening / Thursday, October 19 @ 5:30 ­- 7:30pm
Exhibition Period / October 20 – November 22
Clay Vessel Workshop / Saturday, October 28 @ 1 – 4pm
Panel Discussion / Thursday, November 16 @ 6 – 8pm

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