The Age of Heroes

A dual-portrait tribute to the legends of a continent

The National Tourism Board proudly unveils “The Age of Heroes,” an exhibition honoring twelve pivotal figures whose brilliance forged modern Xicanoland. From May 17 through June 20, Launch Gallery will showcase twelve finely wrought ink portraits on paper, each capturing a statesperson, scientist, or cultural luminary whose vision reshaped our nation.

Inseparable from Xicanoland’s belief in cyclical life, every human portrait is mirrored by an accompanying painting of a Xoloitzcuintle—the sacred dog that, by tradition, escorts the soul into the next realm. These twelve canine guardians transform the gallery into a spiritual corridor, guiding visitors through a meditation on legacy, mortality, and endurance.

In a climate where redacted histories and dampened outrage threaten to sever us from our roots, I choose speculative history as both shield and compass. By inventing what might have been, I refuse the quiet deletion of our lived experience and amplify it through unruly imagination. This lineage isn’t escapism; it’s a counter-narrative—my claim on who writes the past and who inherits tomorrow. Mythic presidents, cosmic launchpads, and Xoloitzcuintle guides reveal the voids left by razed monuments and missing ledgers. Pointing toward a horizon where those absences are mended while charting the “could-have-been,” I aim to expose the “was,” reminding us that narrative is resistance and that dreaming forward can galvanize a sense of self that censorship tries to erase.