Mexican Murals – A Small Glimpse of Zipolite

I’ve been waiting looong to make this post. To be exact, the post I had in mind was a thorough study of the many colorful murals you can find in this super chilled beach-town. Zipolite is a lot like Mazunte, and in certain aspects it surpasses it, such as in the mural department. For every wall painting here, there are at least five super cool ones in our neighbor village. And I was going to present the best of them… but then things came differently.

At first I was completely focused on work, deliberating only occasionally to do a mural tour of Zipolite on some weekend… but then we quickly ran out of weekends, especially once the lockdown really started getting enforced. Now that I’m leaving Mazunte (and the Oaxacan coast with it), I at least wanted to include two of my favorite wall paintings.

What Works on Textiles Looks Great on Walls Too

This first one follows the Oaxacan tradition of painting colorful flowers on black background. Derived from a indigenous style of embroidery, quite famous in this region, these designs can be seen not only on dresses and blouses, but also on cars and walls. In this case, it is a juice-bar / tourist shop, found on Pelicano street.

Style is Everything!

The other really cool mural I wanted to introduce here, is located only half a block from the previous one, on the corner of Pelicano and the main road. It is painted entirely in black on orange background, featuring animals of different types: birds, fish, butterflies, armadillos, jaguars, and iguanas.

All of them are painted in a mesmerizing geometrical pattern, accentuating their physical characteristics. There are also many plants, and stylized human-like faces all around, adding more mystery to the overall image, like they merely exist to create a ambient around the protagonistic fauna.

Much More Where This Came From

And like I said, this is just a kind of teaser for Zipolite. While murals are generally popular in Mexico, they are especially abundant in this artsy, hip, surfer-village, which unlike Mazunte cares A LOT about its appearance. If you’re ever on the Oaxacan coast, I can highly recommend visiting Zipolite, and not only for its clothing-optional beaches, which the place is famous for.

If you liked this, check out my developing series on Mexican murals:  

• A Frida Kahlo Mermaid
• More Exploding Hearts in Mazunte
• A Crow, A Fly, And A Shaded Barbarossa
• Return of the (pinche) Chinche
• Beautiful Art in La Boquilla
• B-side Murals in Mazunte
• The Turtle Center in Mazunte
• Sesame Street, the Mexican Way (güey)
• A Poetic Message About Tremmors
• Horrific Animals in the Roma
• Beautiful Animals in the Roma
• A Beast With a Mesmerizing Look
• New Pictures on Old Walls
• When Big Red Lips Start Growing On You
• Funky Graphics in the Condesa
• A Less Appreciated Wall Painting
• The Flower of Life in a Face
• Honoring the Departed
• The Kiss of Death
• Worsening Situation for Women
• All Your Favorite Mexican Motives
• Aztec Legends in Metro Tacubaya
• Tlaloc in His Element
• Illuminated Illumination
• The Rapidly Changing Wall of La Casa Picnic
• Axolotls Wherever You Look!
• Axolotl in the Parque Lira
• A Healing Mermaid Under Mexican Skies
• Skate On Forever
• Four Sides of a Water Box
• The Children of the Feathered Serpent
• Painted Garage Doors
• New Stairs-Art in my Neighborhood
• Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Central
• La Familia Burrón in the Center
• Playing With Bugs on the Rooftop
• A Journey Through Rock and Roll
• Elite Warriors in the Parque México
• Laboratory Work on the Cocoa
• High Above the City
• Feminist Mural on a Blue-Collar Business
• Not Much New in Almost a Year
• Commercial Murals for Small Businesses
• A Mural for a Movie
• Get to Know Your Local Cacti
• New Images Covering Old Ones
• A Warrior Princess in Mazunte
• A Cartoon with a Public Health Message
• Murals Under Periferico
• Murals of the Barrio in Aguascalientes
• Respected and Less Respected Paintings
• Under Metro Line 4 
• ChaliaKiller's – Murals, Chilaquiles, and Lots More 
• A Familiar Face 
• Political Expression: the Painting is on the Wall 
• Different Types of Wall Paintings 
• The Beauty of Death and the Struggle of Life 
• Winston Churchill and the Bike Movement