“Noche de colibríes / Night of Hummingbirds” by Xánath Caraza

“Noche de colibríes / Night of Hummingbirds” by Xánath Caraza

 

The Galactic Tree of Life, the Story of Everything by Heriberto Luna

Para The Galactic Tree of Life, the Story of Everything de Heriberto Luna

 

Vuelan los colibríes sobre

Las ensortijadas ramas

Filigrana de ámbares como frutos nacen

 

Navegan los árboles a la deriva

Uno a uno, gotas de poesía,

Ópalos en la oscuridad

 

Pequeñas lunas vibran

Con el viento de altamar

Su sonido inhalan las mariposas

 

Titilantes estrellas rodean

Al flameante árbol de lunas

Que se mece, se mece, se mece en el mar

 

Noche de colibríes

Espíritus de los ancestros

Se alimentan de la bermeja savia

 

Entre las ramas fluye

La poesía de Mesoamérica

De la boca de la luna emerge

 

Con el vaivén del mar y

Las constelaciones de diamantes

Viperinas lenguas sisean pasión

 

Xanath Caraza

 

Night of Hummingbirds

 

After The Galactic Tree of Life, the Story of Everything by Heriberto Luna

 

Hummingbirds take flight to

Curled branches

Filigree in amber as fruit is born 

 

Trees navigate drifting

One by one, droplets of poetry,

Opals in darkness

 

Slight moons quiver

Due to wind from open sea,

Butterflies inhale the wind’s wailing

 

Glimmering stars surround

Blazing tree of moons

Rocking back and forth at sea, back and forth, back and forth

 

Night of hummingbirds

Spirits of the ancestors

Are nourished on vermillion sap

 

Through the branches,

Mesoamerican poetry flows

From the moon’s mouth, it emerges

 

By virtue of swaying on the sea and

Diamond constellations,

Snake-like tongues hiss passion

 

“Noche de colibríes / Night of Hummingbirds” are part of the bilingual poetry collection Noche de colibríes (Pandora Lobo Estepario Press, 2014) by Xánath Caraza. Translated by S. Holland-Wempe.

Xanath Caraza

 

Heriberto Luna, Painter, Muralist, and Sculptor

Por Xánath Caraza

Graciously, Heriberto Luna is a prolific artist and can be found at 2 Tracks Art Studio in Los Angeles, CA, where he is frequently painting until altas horas de la noche.  At his studio, in addition to working on his own art, he also mentors young artists or gives art lessons, which are open to the public. Luna has allowed me to use his beautiful images in my new chapbook.  I feel very fortunate to have been able to write about his art y, a propósito, he is the artist of the cover art of  Noche de colibríes: Ekphrastic Poems (Pandora Lobo Estepario Press, 2014) as well.  A continuación Heriberto Luna.

Heriberto Luna at 2 Tracks Art Studio

 

Heriberto Luna  was born in Mexico City and immigrated to the United States soon thereafter. Of six children, he is the second to the youngest. Heriberto Luna comes from a colorful background. His grandfather was one of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata’s soldiers, and his father was in the Mexican army. His grandmother was a Mayan shaman, fluent in two indigenous languages.     

La abuela

Graduating from Franklin High School, in Los Angeles, Luna was surrounded by gangs but found his salvation at age 16 in the arts.  At La Tierra de la Culebra, an urban art park in North East LA, he developed his skills as an earth sculptor and painter.  Combined with his passion for performing Aztec dancing as both a dancer and a drummer, the artistic exposure gave him focus and strengthened his resolve to rise above the bad circumstances around him. 

During  2002 and 2005 Luna apprentice on major mural projects with L. A’s most influential muralist team the East Los Streetscapers, and artist  Paul Botello. Luna met Los Angeles artist Margaret Garcia and in 2002 he apprenticed with her and with New Mexico Master artist Pola Lopez.

"The Galactic Tree of Life, the Story of Everything" by Heriberto Luna

The result of all that hard work is clear, as Luna has exhibited in twenty major Museums thus far, among them such prestigious locations as: The Santa Monica Museum of Art, The National Mexican Fine art Museum in Illinois and The Museum of History and Art in Ontario, California. Beyond that, Luna’s works have become part of major art collections at Arizona State University and in 2006 Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa presented him with an award of recognition for his accomplishments in the arts; Luna has also been awarded two artist-in-residence grants from the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs department.

As his art career continues to bloom, Luna remains dedicated to under privilege youths, he is currently teaching arts classes for Theatre of Hearts and serves as a mentor.  Heriberto Luna’s success is measurable on many different levels yet what makes him most proud is seeing the young people that he has worked with turn to the community and become mentors themselves.  Some have gone on to achieve gallery and museum showings as well. 

Withal, Luna’s bold colors juxtaposed with ancient inspiration and strong commitment to the future of his community bring a powerful and profound statement to the art world and beyond.