Philadelphia artist George Rodriguez draws inspiration from his Mexican American heritage, as well as his travels around the world. His ceramic sculptures often depict guardian figures, tomb sculptures, and shrines. These references to ancient relics carry universal messages of hope and loss, acceptance and challenge, embellishment and simplicity. By combining ornament, humor, and reverence for diverse traditions, Rodriguez seeks to build bridges between different cultures.

El Zodiaco Familiar is the fifth iteration of Rodriguez’s Mexican Zodiac series. In this homage to the Chinese Zodiac, he reimagines the classic, Eastern animals as analogous creatures of Mexican origin to create new cultural narratives. Thirteen Mexican and Chicanx/Chicane artists of various disciplines were invited to respond to Rodriguez’s animal sculptures with the tools and aesthetics of their own artistic practices. While each sculpture is as distinct as its maker, taken together, the twelve works collectively reverberate with tones of the familiar. For his exhibition at PHL airport, Rodriguez presents the zodiac characters with corresponding “amigos”, guardian figures that demonstrate the artist’s ongoing exploration of community, culture, identity, and ornamentation.

The Artists:

Chapulín- Moises Salazar @moises.salazar.tlatenchi
Toro- Marilyn Montufar @marilynmontufar
Jaguar- Ale Carrillo-Estrada @ale_akiceri
Cacomixtle- Samirah Steinmeyer @seedlingclayworks
Quetzalcoatl- Yosimar Reyes @yosirey
Iguana- Eric J. Garcia @elmacheteillustrated
Burro- Christie Tirado @laartista_55
Venado Azul- Carolina Jimenez @carolina___jimenez
Mono- Gabriela Ramirez Michel @gabriela_ramirez_michel
Águila- Jon Gomez @jonnyg123 y Javier Barboza @javbarboza
Chihuahua- Gabriel Marquez @gabrielmarquezart
Cabra- Gustavo Martinez @tavo331

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