Dr. Guillermo Ruiz Burgete will be showing some of his amazing wooden carvings at the Olas Altas Gallery starting Feb. 1st. Don’t miss this one. Dr. Ruiz is a master craftsman and archeological scholar, and when you look at his work, you know that you are in the presence of great art. His motifs are based on Mayan symbols and hieroglyphs, faithfully and painstakingly carved in cedar. There is a large, intricately sculpted chessboard whose every square is a different Mayan hieroglyph representing a number. Other pieces include furniture and wall hangings, and they are all stunning. Most of his work he has given to his children and various lucky private parties. He says he very rarely sells one, that he would not want to charge for all of the time it takes to make one. A surgeon by profession, Dr. Ruiz. now devotes his post-retirement days to his art. Back in the 50’s he did some beautiful nude sculptures as part of his anatomical studies. He went on to become director of the Military Hospital here in Mazatlan for twelve years, and the Military Hospital in Guadalajara for five. On the

side, he has become quite a Mayan scholar, and with the skilled hands of a surgeon he turns his knowledge into art. He has had shows as far north as Tucson and Nogales. He also gives a presentation of some ninety slides which illuminate the Mayan civilization and the influence it has on his work. Dr. Ruiz grew up in Tapachula, Chiapas, and was impressed at an early age by the history around him. He says that the great Mayan epoch was from the second to the ninth century in Chiapas, and attributes their mysterious decline to overpopulation depleting the soil, and the overbearing military and religious hierarchies driving away the commoners. He explains their numerical system, in which dots are one, lines are five and conch shells are twenties, and their two calendars, religious and astronomical, which were the most accurate in the world in their time. Dr. Ruiz is a wise and charming speaker, very knowledgeable as well as creative, and his presentation will be worth seeing. For details call the Olas Altas Gallery, corner of Olas Altas and Angel Flores, at 985-2252 or see ad on this page.