Juchitecas Platicando (Juchitecán Women Talking)

This print depicts three statuesque women from the city of Juchiteca in the state of Oaxaca in southeastern Mexico. Juchiteca is a largely matriarchal society, in that women control the economy and hold positions of power. It is also home to a large Zapotec population, indigenous to the land that became Mexico. Francisco Zúñiga lived within the community of Juchiteca for a period of time and adopted the women of the area as one of the central motifs of his artwork, both on paper and in sculpture. Through his selective coloring, Zúñiga highlights the women’s clothing, including their recognizable huipiles or tunics, conveying the pride in locally made textile art.