The Feathered Serpent (La Serpiente Emplumada) is a hand-woven tapestry by the Colombian textile artist Alexandra Navas. It belongs to her series Messenger Snakes (Culebras Mensajeras), a homage to the pre-Columbian cultures and their founding myths, where the serpent is tied to the origin of the world and of humanity. Unlike the Western view that links serpents to sin and danger, the indigenous peoples of the Americas learned to live alongside them and respect them as sources of wisdom and natural strength.
Hand-woven high-warp tapestry, recycled cotton threads, wool, viscose and gold thread, 98 x 110 cm
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View available works →
This piece celebrates Mexico, a country close to the artist's heart. Navas lived there as a child, from the age of six to twelve, and the intensity of Mexican colour is one of the strongest sensations she keeps from those years. The tapestry honours Quetzalcóatl, the Mexica god of wind and rain and creator of the world and humanity. Part bird and part rattlesnake, his name joins the Nahuatl words quetzal, the emerald-feathered bird, and coatl, serpent. The contrast between indigo blue and Mexican pink takes her back to the streets of her childhood. A cord runs across the tapestry: the serpent making its way through its own feathers, a symbol of inner search and self-knowledge.
Works
The Feathered Serpent (La Serpiente Emplumada), 2024, vertical tapestry woven by hand on a high-warp loom with mixed technique, recycled cotton threads, wool, viscose and gold thread, mounted on a steel tube, 98 x 110 cm
Price: 3,000 euros (VAT included)
Recent Activity
2026
In the Beginning Was the Sea (En el principio era el mar) group exhibition, Sur Gallery, Barcelona
Emotional Textiles group exhibition, CasaMadre, Madrid