Los Angeles designer Louis Verdad stands with his sculpture, Louis Verdad: TONÁNTZIN, at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes in downtown Los Angeles. | Photo by Rodney Ray
FASHION
Louis Verdad: TONÁNTZIN at LA Plaza Is Designer’s ‘Stepping Stone’
Los Angeles designer Louis Verdad recently embraced a new creative outlet—a sculpture named Louis Verdad: TONÁNTZIN. The piece was commissioned by downtown Los Angeles’ LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes museum and cultural center, which is part of the PST ART Community Hubs aligned with the Getty Museum’s PST ART: Art & Science Collide initiative. Additional funding was provided by Kaiser Permanente.
“The beauty of this is my pride of who I am. It put me in touch with my story, my ancestors, my history,” Verdad explained. “I was forced to go in that direction. It was intense.”
The 11-foot-by-9-foot sculpture depicts the Mesoamerican deity Tonántzin, or Mama Tierra. Verdad dug deep into his own ancestral roots to create the work, which features flittering butterflies and movement that represents the earth’s rotation.
Tonántzin holds a heart of flora in her right hand as a bird lands on her left. She is adorned with a headdress, breastplate, skirt of snakes and a long, flowing cape that features a celestial-themed underside and Verdad’s interpretation of the Virgin Mary on the back. Tonántzin’s legs transform into a sturdy trunk that extends into roots below, and white feathers hang suspended from above. Sounds of nature, animals and the earth play throughout the exhibit space.
“I had to learn about the history of the Aztec culture and what Tonántzin means to my ancestors, but I also learned about everything they did, how they did it and why they did it,” said Verdad. “This was a goddess venerated by the Aztecs.”
Verdad has described this experience as a “stepping stone” on his path to create his next project, a documentary titled “Mexican Culture Through the Eyes of Contemporary Fashion.” The project studies art and culture that have been developed within each region of Mexico. It will be complemented by a couture collection that will be unveiled throughout different global cities.
“We have to understand the origins of where we come from,” said Verdad. “This was a stepping stone. Some of fashion is cultural. It transforms, it accommodates. It merges into the lifestyles of people.”
The exhibit was unveiled Sept. 15 and will be open to the public with complimentary admission through April 27.
