Guadalupe Maravilla came to the United States as an unaccompanied minor in 1984, fleeing civil war in his native El Salvador. While studying art in New York, Maravilla was diagnosed with colon cancer. These experiences inform Maravilla’s work as an artist and activist who creates ceremonial spaces of healing for marginalized communities.
Comprising materials as varied as loofahs, an anatomical model of a snake’s head and heart, obsidian, and six gongs, Disease Thrower #17 is designed to be activated by the artist during ceremonial rituals. These works incorporate objects, selected for their animistic properties, that Maravilla collected while retracing his childhood migration.
The artist creates these sound ceremonies for general audiences—often in collaboration with other healers—but also conducts private ceremonies for his communities. Disease Thrower #17 should be understood as an instrument in the practice of holistic healing for those who have been made sick by the toxic social, spiritual, and physical environments in which they live.
