Songs from the Grave

Songs from the Grave by Angel Guerrero Trillo is a playful yet poetic homage to Día de los Muertos. Engraved in rich terracotta against a natural cream surface, the vase captures a whimsical cemetery scene where skeleton musicians serenade the spirits. Birds soar above, animals roam freely, and crosses emerge from the landscape — every detail etched by hand in the traditional sgraffito technique.
The texture of the background gives the vase a woven, almost textile-like appearance, softening the contrast and grounding the imagery in the land. Guerrero Trillo’s use of fine linework and storytelling transforms this vessel into a cultural canvas — not just decorative, but narrative, celebratory, and alive with symbolism.