Tribute to Our Heroes

Powerful and politically charged, Tribute to Our Heroes by Carlos Alberto Rutilo Ortiz is a commanding homage to the revolutionary spirit of Mexico’s past. Created on traditional amate paper — a bark-based medium used by Indigenous peoples for centuries — the composition features iconic images of Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa, flanked by slogans like “Tierra y Libertad” and “Justicia y Educación.” A soaring eagle unites the two figures, its wings stretching across a background filled with rural life, revolutionaries, and bold typographic banners. The frame is dense with symbols: plowed fields, livestock, corn, factories, and architecture — blending history, myth, and popular resistance into a single visual field. Rendered in rich black ink, the artwork resonates with the texture of the amate and the power of grassroots narrative.