This painting is inspired by Jelena’s visit to the city of Oaxaca in Mexico, a city of art filed with galleries, art events and artist everywhere. The woman portrait is inspired by Oaxaca's famous singer Lila Downs. The artist took inspiration from her song “El Palomo del Comalito”. In the song clip we can see the costume represented in the painting, and the yellow line surrounding the painting is representing the corn, a central element of Mexican and Oaxacan culture and one of the main themes of the song.
Cactuses, that are omnipresent in Mexico, are the main component of the painting’s background. Jelena included cactuses in this painting to represent the Mezcal, a famous Mexican liquor produced from cactuses mostly in Oaxaca. Mezcal is more than just a drink, it’s a central part of the culture and folklore in the region of Oaxaca, and as such it’s inspiring many artworks visible in the galleries of the city.
