Dia dos Muertos- (Day of the Dead) is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico, in particular the Central and South regions, and by people of Mexican ancestry living in other places, especially the United States. It is acknowledged internationally in many other cultures and celebrated in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saint's Day and All Hollow's Day. The multi-day holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, and help support their spiritual journey.

 

La Belleza de los Muertos means ‘Beauty of the Dead.” Beautiful sugar skulls are often used to decorate the gravestones of the deceased and many of the sugar skulls are decorated with flowers meant to symbolize life. The skull symbolizes death but in a positive manner an in Mexico it is believed that death is not the final stage in one’s life but rather a step forward into a higher level of conscience and rebirth.

 

La Belleza de los Muertos ‘Bella’ is my interpretation of a beaded sugar skull with flower patterns on her and is surrounded by deeply bezeled 14mm Swarovski rivolis.  I have used tubular peyote with my Pinch-in-the-Ditch technique for the side flowers and sculptural peyote for the hollow 3D sugar skull.