Elixir de la Vida (P.A. VIII/X)

Playful yet profound, Elixir de la Vida by Tomás Pineda Matus captures the cultural essence of Oaxaca through an unexpected lens: a vividly rendered grasshopper lounging beneath an agave plant, its gaze fixed on a solitary shot of mezcal. Executed in a painterly lithographic technique, the print blends illustration, symbolism, and humor into a cohesive visual ode to local tradition. The composition radiates movement — the spiny agave explodes outward like fireworks while green ink splatters evoke the rawness of the earth and the spirit of fermentation. The chapulín (grasshopper), a beloved icon in Oaxacan cuisine and folklore, becomes a charismatic protagonist here, perched with exaggerated posture as if resting after a celebration.