Tāp Pīlam Nation Portraits

“Tāp Pīlam Nation Portraits” by San Antonio artist Mari Hernandez is a series of portraits which features lineal San Antonio Missions descendants of our region’s First People, who formed an important demographic base that continues today. Each portrait features a location and attire of unique significance for the individual that illustrates intergenerational connections to land and ancestors as markers of identity and culture. The portraits are set within the landscapes of three historically significant locations, Mission San Francisco de la Espada, The Blue Hole Headwater Sanctuary, and Mission San Juan Capistrano.