My sincerest greetings,
Manuel Davila is a 2Spirit Coahuiltecan tradition keeper and Cultural Arts Manager for American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions. They are dedicated to preserving the culture of the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation, educating the community about native flora, and promoting a decolonial approach to the history of San Antonio. With a background in horticulture, herbalism, and pharmacy, Manuel is also an advocate for immigration, heritage nutrition, land restoration, and climate sustainability.
Artist Statement
My artistic vision and personal practice are to continue to uplift the decolonial histories of Yanaguana, the ancestral name of the San Antonio River and surrounding land, and the elders who have preserved our cultural practices. The slow process of collecting pigments from the Earth and river, processing them into a fine powder to reconstitute into paints, transports me to place myself in my not-so-distant relatives headspace.
Current Work On Display
“Resilient and Responsive: artists and the environment”
Opening reception April 11, 2024, Culture Commons Gallery 115 Plaza De Armas, SATX 78205
Why Ochre?
My inspiration comes from the myriad of rock art sites in Texas and Coahuila that are still honored by my community as windows into our ancestor’s world and wisdom.Many of my works incorporate symbols, colors, and themes that connect to the imagery of South Texas that was originally inspired by these important sites. Creating a practice founded in natural materials helps with my vision of land and river stewardship to create art that has limited impact on the natural world around us.
An Ancestral Connection
The shades of yellow in my work are ferric oxide, sienna ochre and the shades of reds are made of iron oxide ochre. I make my own inks from the gall of mesquite and oak trees to make black pigment ink for lines and details.
These are the same raw materials my ancestors used to paint the frescos that adorned the walls of the historic buildings they erected during the forced missionization period; some frescos are still visible today over 300 years later.
How do I convey messages and lessons for future generations to interpret? Rock art is a manifestation of the human impulse to communicate that transcends time or language barriers and my hope is to share that expression in contemporary spaces as well. While many study these images to only understand the past, my hope is that my work helps my community see a map of where we are going just as much as where we have been. Naletzam (Gratitude
Grounded in the essence of the San Antonio River Basin, his art weaves a profound tale, paying homage to the region’s storied past. Each pigment, painstakingly gathered from the earth and river, serves as a tribute to ancestral wisdom and traditions. With an unwavering eco-conscious ethos, his work mirrors the exhibition’s dedication to sustainable art. Through his creations, he transcends time, offering poignant reflections that beckon the community to embrace their journey and nurture a harmonious relationship with the natural world.
Certified Tourism Ambassador for the City of San Antonio, Texas
I provide tours of the San Antonio Missions from the perspective of the aboriginal people who built and resided in the area that we now know as San Antonio, Texas.
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Articles
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Learning Resources
Mesquite Papi 