Nicolas de Jesus

I am really into the work of Nicolas de Jesus. I was lucky enough to purchase a print of his in Mexico. Much of his work makes political statement about the US, while other is reflective or commentary on Mexican culture.
The image to the left is titled "Despierta America." Several other works in the same style are found here...

from zihua.net:
"Born December 6, 1960 in the indigenous Nahua region of Guerrero, Mexico. Nicolas de Jesus developed his art through his parents and his community. Painting on Amate (bark paper) is a local tradition in the village of Ameyaltepec where Nicolas is from. His work reflects the spectrum of his experiences from his origins in a traditional Mexican village to the problems of the Mexican migrant in the United States and his concern for preserving his cultural identity.
In an attempt to preserve his culture one theme that Nicolas de Jesus has exquisitely developed is that of Calaveras (skeletons). One of the oldest traditions in Mexico, which has indigenous roots, is the celebration of the "Day of the Dead". It is a tradition that goes back several centuries before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in 1519. It is a tradition found today in a few regions of Mexico that are characterized by a concentration of indigenous populations, such as the regions of the Balsas basin, which at present is Nahuatl-speaking community, here in this state of Guerrero.
The Day of the Dead is a collective manifestation, a celebration of death as an extension of life. Death motivates happiness when the deceased gets to his or her second stage of life(death), there the soul continues to live. The process of dying is considered part of a cycle (life-death) just like everything else in nature and not a lineal process as it is in the western world.
This tradition is presented through graphics and personal text by artist Nicolas de Jesus.

"The word death is not pronounced in New York, in Paris, in London, because it burns the lips. The Mexican, in contrast, is familiar with death, jokes about it , caresses it, sleeps with it,celebrates it; it is one of his favorite toys and his steadfast love. True, there is perhaps as much fear in his attitude as in the others, but at least death is not hidden away."
- OCTAVIO PAZ