Kumeyaay Pre-visualization
Symbols of Resilience
This project was a pre-visualization for an art piece by a local San Diego artist, which represented the lifestyle and history of the Kumeyaay people. The Kumeyaay are an Indigenous tribe whose territory extends through San Diego and Baja California. Their culture is deeply tied to the land, with traditions that emphasize resilience and survival in often harsh conditions.
The artwork used everyday objects to tell this story. Central to the piece were images of different sauce pans, all at different stages of life. In addition to the pans, the hands that held them were also taken into account. The pan represented not only daily survival but also the passing of time and generational continuity. Like the pans that are used, reused, and eventually worn down, human life also carries the marks of time. These pans may see more hands than most others; as such, they serve as a visual reminder of resilience.
To strengthen this idea, real photographs of the pans and hands were brought into Photoshop and treated with a light, paper-like filter. This gave the images a fragile, printed quality, symbolizing the vulnerability of people in the face of time and environment. The central snake tied the imagery back to the Kumeyaay themselves, acting as a symbol of identity and presence. The piece was later presented in both San Diego and Mexico to help raise awareness and funding for the Kumeyaay people.