"Ixchel" - Ceramic Bust Sculpture

Hand-built ceramic bust sculpture by Vanessa Estes Quintero. Based locally, Vanessa's work draws from shamanic traditions, feminine mysticism, and ancestral totem forms.

This sculpture presents a stylized female head with an elongated neck and quietly inward expression. The facial features are intentionally abstracted and informed by ancient Mexican and pre-Columbian sculptural traditions, referencing the simplified geometry, symbolic proportions, and spiritual presence found in early ceremonial objects.

The surface is richly worked and finished in layered blue and indigo glazes with earthen undertones, creating depth, texture, and subtle tonal variation that emphasizes the handmade process. Carved linework around the eyes and face, along with sculptural ear elements, suggest listening, intuition, and ritual adornment.

Rather than a portrait, Ixchel functions as a symbolic vessel — evoking protection, transformation, and feminine spiritual power. Totemic and grounded, the piece carries a strong sense of ancestral continuity while remaining distinctly contemporary, making it a compelling focal object within a curated interior or art-forward setting.