Lorena Ancona

Mexican artist Lorena Ancona’s practice uses Maya blue pigment as a locus from which to explore historical techniques used in Mesoamerican craft traditions. Maya blue, an azure colour considered the first man-made pigment in the Americas and produced by the Maya and Aztecs, is highly resistant to weathering; early paintings made using the colour have not faded over time. Ancona’s practice seeks to uncover and rearticulate such materialities and traditions, as well as the iconography and symbolism within Mesoamerican architecture and works to ensure their place in history. Ancona’s practice begins with archival and field research – for instance, her research within the British Museum into casts produced by archaeologist and explorer Alfred Maudslay – and involves gathering materials, and then using them to produce her own textile and ceramic pieces.