An artist who turned his grandmother’s grave into a tribute for Mexico’s Day of the Dead has become a viral hit on social media.
Luis Francisco Novelo Braga, from Yucatan province, turned his gran’s tombstone into a tribute for Mexico’s special day for celebrating the lives of the dead.
The Day of the Dead – ‘Dia de los Muertos’ in Spanish – is a traditional Mexican holiday commonly associated with All Saints’ Day.
His artwork shows a skeleton with a headdress of flowers surrounded by flowers, butterflies, maize corn on the cob and crucifixes.
At the base, he painted the message ‘Happy Day of the Dead’ in Spanish.
The images quickly went viral on social media, with Luis Francisco saying that he created the work of art with “great affection and love”.
He said: “With much affection and love for you grandma, God have you in your Holy Glory.”
The images show Luis Francisco’s process and how he went about creating the work of art, starting a black and blue paint and creating an outline of what he wanted to paint in white.
He then created the image of the skeleton and skull, surrounded by brightly coloured flowers.
Sharing the images online, Luis Francisco also took the opportunity to offer his services to anyone wanting to spruce up a loved one’s grave for the upcoming Day of the Dead, which typically takes place between the evening of 31st October and 6th November, depending on the locality.
He also shared other images illustrating his work, including one grave painted in red and black which depicts a man kneeling in front of a grave along with his horse as the sun sets in the background.
The artist has been widely praised on social media, where the images quickly made the rounds.