The man behind the masks

FARR WEST — Jesus Cuevas' mancave is probably a little different than most.

It's filled with devils and warriors, skulls and old men.

Cuevas is a Mexican mask maker, a mascarero. He is the son of a mask maker and a fourth-generation woodcarver.

Cuevas grew up in a small village in the state of Zacatecas and helped his father carve masks. Once he grew up, that just became history to Cuevas.

"Back in the day, when I was little. I was thinking I was forced to help. But now I feel like I'm so glad I learned all that," he said.

His perspective changed years ago when his daughter, America, started asking him questions about life in Mexico. That reignited his interest in the art.

"I feel connected with my family to keep doing these wooden masks," he said.

Inside elm and willow logs, he finds masks worn in traditional Mexican dances, some of which originate in pre-Hispanic Mexico.

The Dance of the Tastoanes is performed on July 25 in his native Zacatecas and other Mexican states. It honors Saint James the Apostle and reenacts indigenous resistance against a brutal Spanish conquest. Warrior masks sometimes include spots or pests, symbolizing smallpox and other diseases brought during the invasion.

The dance of the old men began as a dance to the god of fire but became a way for indigenous people to mock the Spaniards.

For Cuevas, it's clear the history that matters most is his family's. His father died two years ago and now he collaborates with his daughter, an artist who paints some of the masks.

"My dad always was right there to teach me, to continue teaching me," Cuevas says tearfully. "Yes. I feel like my dad is here, and I'm pretty sure he's very proud."

Related topics