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“The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.” -Emily Dickinson
When the days grow shorter and the air gets crisp, many cultures around the world pause to reflect on the afterlife. Where I grew up, we celebrate the Day of the Death, which often brings up a familiar question: what happens after we die? Whether you believe in heaven, reincarnation, or returning to the earth, death is a great equalizer. Regardless of who we are, what language we speak, or what faith we follow, we will all share the same final fate. Human rituals surrounding the mystery of death and the afterlife reflect our need for connection, meaning, and peering into the eternal.
Growing up in the eternal springtime mountains of central Mexico, I always looked forward to the Día de los Muertos: the celebration and remembrance of our dearly departed. Vibrant orange and yellow marigolds scattered along the streets guide the spirits from their resting place to the ofrendas or offerings made by those still living to honor those who have passed. The aromatic scent of copal incense and lively tunes waft over cemeteries as families reunite with their departed loved ones.
These traditions remind us that, as long as we’re remembered, we never truly die.
I love the traditions of my native country. Throughout my time there, I have been lucky to photograph our traditional celebrations around death in the rural cemeteries of Oaxaca and along the shores of Baja California. With the help of my friend, Lissandra Shree, we recreated the frightening apparition known as La Llorona—the weeping woman.
Bringing some of the folk characters that animate the Day of the Dead into life through photographs has been one of the highlights of my recent work. I would love to know what you think of my rendition of La Catrina Garbancera, a character made famous by the legendary Mexican artist Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo’s husband.
The use of art and photography to confront the fleeting nature of life is infused throughout all of human history. Ancient cultures, from the Maya to the Inca, would bury their dead with precious pottery and intricately carved jade. During the height of the Renaissance, painters were commissioned to create portraits so wealthy families would be remembered.
Art is thousands of years of connection and history bridging the living to the afterlife, with artists serving as chroniclers of life through to its inevitable conclusion.
In nature, death is simply a part of the cycle of life. When we die, our bodies return to the earth, nourishing the soil, plants, and animals, continuing the flow of life. From the most diminutive creature to the largest, every being shares this fate.
We are all born from nature, and, in the end, we must all return to it, leaving behind an imprint in the soil and the wild.
This cycle is not something to fear but to embrace as part of the sacred balance of life and death. Though our time here is fleeting, we remain part of a larger, eternal rhythm—one that transcends fear and fills us with peace and purpose.
Since our time here is fleeting, we must make the most of it. In Mexico, where life is celebrated right alongside death, we have learned to experience beauty in all its forms; to love deeply and to live with compassion.
There’s no room to waste on hate, malice, or hopelessness. The best way to live is with an open heart—appreciating the wonder around us and treating others with kindness and empathy.
The best way to live is with an open heart—appreciating the wonder around us and treating others with kindness and empathy.
In the end, love and connection are what will endure long after we’ve returned to the earth.