Hilo Huichol Series

Though Huichol people have been using yarn or string to convey prayers to their deities or to create protective amulets for centuries, "painting" with yarn is a relatively new art form. The practice started in the 1960s when Huichol artists were searching for new arts and crafts to sell to tourists.

The Huichol live in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico. Huichol paintings are made with beeswax spread on wood, then left to warm in the sun. The artist then scratches his design into the wax with a sharpened stick.

The name Huichol comes from the word Wirriarika, which means soothsayer or medicine man. The designs of Huichol art have religious and cultural significance and are literally divinely inspired. These patterns were initially produced by shamans to represent visions they experienced while consuming peyote.