Meet the Artist: Leo, a Wixarika Bead and Embroidery Artist

Creating Space for Traditional Arts in Contemporary Style

Artist snapshot: Leocadia Xitawima Reza López, Wixarika, 28-years-old, Wixaritari beading and embroidery (Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico).

Why we love it: Leo creates a fresh look based on very traditional Wixaritari elements that offer deeper lessons on the interconnectedness of people, earth and animals.

Leo’s magic: Time, Love, Dedication.

If you visit the plaza of the Basilica of Our Lady of Zapopan in Jalisco, Mexico you may be lucky enough to meet Leo. She runs a small business, selling her jewelry and embroidery in craft markets and on Facebook. Leo is Wixarika (a member of the Wixaritari, an indigenous ethnic group in Mexico and the U.S.).

Even in the Basilica plaza, among the many booths featuring beautiful, beaded jewelry in the bright colors and natural motifs of Wixaritari art, Leo’s pieces stand out. She has a talent for developing contemporary designs based on traditional elements, demonstrating the power of Wixaritari contributions to current culture in Mexico and to style lovers everywhere.

Leo learned the traditional Wixaritari arts of beading and embroidery as a girl in the traditional Wixaritari community in Mezquitic at the base of the Sierra Madres. She has used these valuable skills to help support her family for the past decade. Working for herself gives her the flexibility she needs to care for her two young daughters, Alizee Anahí Xitawima Carrillo Reza (12) and Ingrid Etsima Carrillo Reza (6).

Like many Wixarika (and others throughout the world), Leo moved to the city from her small, agricultural hometown to provide better opportunities for her family. Her dream is to grow her business, introducing her art and culture to people throughout the world and one day owning a brick and mortar store. She says working with IdealThread marks an important step by helping her connect with English-speakers.

Leo wants everyone who wears her jewelry to know that each piece is made with love and dedication.

Leo is one of the first artists to work with IdealThread. Bienvenidos y gracias, Leo!

You can find Leo on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LEOSArteWixarika

Here she is with some of her work and her two lovely girls Ingrid and Alizee. Leo is wearing a shirt that she spent a year embroidering with the image of Grandfather Deer.