By: Francisco Onate
Medium: oil on paper
Year: 2003
Image Size: 23.5 × 18 inches

Muchacha presents a stylized female figure rendered with earthy tones and a composition that interweaves natural motifs such as fish and a bird. The fish might suggest themes of fertility, cycles of life, or connection to water, while the bird could symbolize freedom or spiritual presence. Oñate commonly integrated such elements into his figurative compositions to evoke storytelling rooted in Michoacán’s folk and ecological heritage.

Rendered with an expression that is both serene and introspective, the Muchacha feels emblematic of Oñate’s wider oeuvre, which seeks to preserve traditions through visual metaphor.