Wayne Hilton's Hermosos Huesos

Area artist Wayne Hilton has now devoted several years to the conception and realization of his vibrant series of calavera catrina figures, entitled Hermosos Huesos, many of them inspired by the prints of the late nineteenth-century Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada, whose imagery was key to the initial popularization of the calavera figure in Mexico. One of the works in the present exhibition, The Bride, debuted at EPMA in fall 2013 for that year’s Día de Los Muertos celebrations. Now she joins her sisters in an exhibition featuring thirteen works of the now completed series. Using primarily found objects and recycled materials, Hilton intends through the variety of elements he incorporates in his Hermosos Huesos to evoke curiosity and familiarity for viewers. Three years and over five thousand hours of intricate detailing have been devoted to these sculptural, mixed-media works, representing a commitment to both artistic expression and execution. The central figure in each work is inspired by La Calavera Catrina, Posada’s most recognized illustration portraying the elegant female skeleton. Embracing themes of political satire, religion, sensationalized news, cultural mores, and sexuality, Hilton’s Hermosos Huesos draw on the narratives Posada himself expressed in his more than twenty thousand illustrations. Individually and collectively, the pieces in this series are intended to surprise, delight, intrigue, and question our concept of the afterlife.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website