Kenny Purizaga Orejuela

Piramide Burst Cempasuchil – 2020

Various Materials 5’ x 4’ x 7.’

I used a 3’x 5’ Dia de Los Muertos flag I bought in Plaza Olvera in 2015 as the piece’s back drop. The skull in the middle has a turquoise blue color that is accented throughout the ofrenda. I paired the flag with a color burst rebozo cinched in the middle to represent wings—the top three tiers of the “ofrenda” consist of family ancestors.

I have a golden frame with a picture of my paternal Grandfather, who passed away this year in the first tear. His frame is held by two “cholitas” who are representing my Peruvian cultural background. Their dresses offer a vibrant color that compliments the rest of the piece. My Grandfather was a merchant marine, so I included a cargo ship below his picture. I also included a cat “alebrije” with his picture. Finally, I wanted to break down the color by inserting white “manteles” between the tiers.

The next tiers are to honor my maternal grandparents. As you can see in the pictures, my Grandfather was an officer in the Peruvian navy. I made sure to include a frigate ship to his tier along with motifs from Peruvian culture, including a Mochica jewelry box and an authentic llama fur llama doll. Also included in this tier are two cat “alebrijes,” one for each grandparent, and cempasuchil flowers. My grandparents owned many cats, so the theme fit perfectly.

The third tier contains my aunt, who passed away this year of Covid-19, my sister’s Grandfather, my wife’s great grandmother, and baby cousin, who died shortly after being born. Their pictures are adorned with large cempasuchil flowers, and each picture includes a small candle. Each family member’s picture frame is golden for their cherished nature.

The lower tier is the food “ofrenda” table. As you can see, there’s no food displayed because I have pets that can reach the tier, and I don’t want the food to go bad. Food will be displayed on the day of Dia de Los Muertos with supervision from curious pets. This table shows the inspiration statue of the piece Cuauhtemoc, a Dias de Los Muertos dandy bust, and a baby Joshua tree. I wanted to include the Joshua tree because the tree is also dominant in the deserts of Peru. Included are a decorated skull cup and a serving plate of tangerines. I also included a San Judas Candle, who is the patron saint of the impossible. I see San Judas (Saint Jude) as a representation of accomplishing the impossible. Also on the right is San Martin de Porres is the saint of social justice, racial harmony, and mixed-race people. This was important for me because my family consists of all different ethnic backgrounds, but it was also crucial for the saint’s social justice aspect.

On the right of the San Martin de Porres candle, I created a smaller altar for the kids who died while interned at border camps. On the day of Dia de Los Muertos, I will also include monarch butterflies for them.

On the altar's left, I created a space for the Army soldiers no longer with us. I included my friend SPC Davitt who took his life while serving together, and I also had SPC Vanessa Guillen, who lost her life to violence earlier this year.

I hope you enjoy that my ancestors, the children, and friends connect with this altar as much as I connected with it. Thank you!