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For more than a decade, Colocho has been dedicated to developing and practicing a technique she calls “Apis ferrugo” (monotype with iron oxide on cotton or linen fabrics). One of the most important reasons for its development has been her fascination with the extensive range of tones obtained from priming fabrics with iron oxide. Observing and appreciating these tones and the shapes that emerge—some entirely unpredictable and spontaneous, others achieved through her planning—becomes for her a magical ceremony full of meaning.

Her intention in dyeing fabrics with oxide is to interpret their cartography and then intervene with hand embroidery to achieve the final composition of each piece. During her research, she began studying colors and realized that Maya blue was exactly what she needed to complement the oxide tones of the canvases. After several experimental exercises, she became convinced that Maya blue indeed adds character and strength to her works. The blue represents the aquatic element that complements the earthly.

Her ancestral roots appear in her current textile works as a tribute to the Maya culture, whose importance and influence on the Mesoamerican subconscious, her country, and the contemporary world are evident.

"The Maya used blue as a representation of the cosmos in murals inside temples, as well as on vessels, sculptures, codices, panels, and more. My careful observation of these cultural remnants has been a source of inspiration for many of my pieces"

Ada Colocho