Artist Champions Threatened Indigenous Languages Through Chandelier-Inspired Artistry

Ana Hernández, an artist from Mexico, is promoting the preservation of endangered Indigenous languages through her artwork, “La Manda.” In Mexican traditions, especially among Catholic communities, a “manda” refers to a promise or act of faith where an individual commits to completing a significant endeavor in return for divine assistance. This idea underpins Hernández’s “La Manda.”

Hernández’s installation, displayed at Zona Maco 2025, features two metal spirals suspended from the ceiling, reminiscent of a chandelier. These metallic designs are inscribed with a manifesto in Zapotec, a language predominantly spoken in Oaxaca, which is Hernández’s native state. The inscriptions raise concerns about the disappearance of languages and express hope, finishing with, “My language didn’t perish with my grandmother. It is merely in slumber.”

Moreover, 68 yellow-orange candles, each symbolizing a language spoken in Mexico, dangle from the spirals. These candles, decorated with small seashells, draw inspiration from the Aztec depiction of spoken words and act as emblems of communication and community. Hernández’s art underscores the significance of collective effort, akin to the “labrada de cera” ceremony in Mexico, utilizing natural materials to reflect the bond between language and nature.

As Hernández expresses, “The essence is shaped by language; by losing the realms found within each word, essential components of peoples, cultures, and communities are extinguished.” Her work aims to safeguard the cultural richness found in Indigenous languages. Follow Ana Hernández on Instagram to see more of her creations.