The Seri/Comca’ac Womens Artisans Cooperative members prepare for the celebration and sale of their artwork at the XIPE PROJECTS Museum in Huntington Beach, CA. They are applying their facepaint in the home of master basket weaver Abe Sanchez, who is helping to host them during their visit to the U.S. from Desemboque, Sonora, Mexico.
Patricia Moreno applies facepaint
Gabriela Molina applies facepaint to Carmen Moreno, her mother
Panchita Moreno applies facepaint
Diana Molina applies facepaint to Abe Sanchez
Diana Molina applies facepaint
Carmen Moreno, with her daughters Gabriela and Diana Molina
Angelita Torres at Xipe Projects Museum
The elegant and often intricate facepainting designs are applied for ceremonies, celebrations, markets, and fiestas. Historically, facepaint was applied “as protection from the sun, for purely aesthetic or decorative purposes, for curative and supernatural purposes, and to influence nature,” according to Richard Felger and Mary Beck Moser in their People of the Desert and Sea.
More images of our Seri friends can be found here.
Xipe Projects Group Photo
Deborah Small's Ethnobotany Blog 