Abraham Batzin from Guatemala was among the first three artists who started the row of pictures that would soon develop into the international art initiative “See the Big Picture”. Abraham is one of the most famous painters of Arte Naïf (Naive Art) in Guatemala. He currently lives in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Apart from his activity as an artist, Abraham contributes to social initiatives helping to improve the life of the Mayans by supporting schools for children with limited opportunities and the Foundation ‘Habitat para la Humanidad’ (Home for Humanity).
Abraham has exhibited his work both in Guatemala and abroad and won numerous awards. His works of art play with traditional elements of Mayan culture and are famous for their aerial view – objects in his paintings are usually portrayed from a bird’s eye’s perspective. To honor his influence on Arte Naïf, Abraham’s work was featured in the book ‘Arte Naïf: Contemporary Guatemalan Paintings’, published by UNESCO in 2001.
The painting that Abraham created for “See the Big Picture” is called “Woman Weaving” and reflects on the daily tasks of Mayan community.
Woman
Mother
Widow
Grandmother
They just look at me
and they do not ask themselves?
I have been alone
for 40 years
fruit of the war.
My husband was killed
my daughter has disappeared
and my two sons
emigrated to the north.
Since then
I have not seen them
I keep on waiting for them
as long as there is hope
I keep on knitting
as long as the time goes on
I keep on knitting
the memories of yesterday
to bring them to the present
to leave them for tomorrow
that they would not be
forgotten.
More info: see-the-big-picture.com
Woman Weaving
Glorious Coffee
Abraham Batzin (back row, second from right)
