These works are inspired by piteado, a traditional Mexican embroidery technique used to decorate leather with intricate geometric, floral, and animal motifs. The process involves punching holes in the leather and threading pita, a natural fiber derived from the agave plant. I am a descendant of a piteado artisan.

Piteado is often a client-based craft, centered on creating bespoke leather goods tailored to individual requests. Therefore, piteado artisans maintain a portfolio—a catalog of traditional and unique embroidery patterns and designs. These prints reference that catalog, highlighting six commonly used geometric designs interpreted through screenprinting, dry pigment screenprinting, and natural pigments, specifically cochineal, quebracho, and marigold inks.

The piteado embroidery process involves alternating between hole-punching the leather and threading the pita. In these prints, punched paper along the perimeter of the geometric patterns stands in for the physical act of piercing leather, symbolizing the labor and rhythm of the craft. The holes take on a life of their own, forming visual constellations. They function like maps—tools for orientation, connection, and meaning-making—that evoke networks rooted in memory, tradition, and imagined futures.