Ceramic Trees of Life: Popular Art from Mexico

May 4, 2003 – January 4, 2004

This bilingual exhibition examined richly symbolic Trees of Life, the ceramic candelabra-like constructions whose elaborate decoration and structure often appear to defy gravity and the pottery medium itself. The exhibition presented the historic roots of this tradition, dating to the ancient Aztecs, and explored the evolution of the trees both as ritual objects and as collectibles in high demand. The diversity of their form reflects the changing circumstances and concerns of contemporary life.