Lucas Mulder

Day of the Dead, Zunil, Guatemala 2008

Lucas Mulder (b. 1973, Canada) is an independent photographer currently based in Central America where he is working with various local non-profit organizations as well as focusing on personal projects related to agriculture, food, and religion. Lucas is a founding member of Ballad Photo, a photo cooperative based in Canada, and is the Artistic Director of Voces de Cambio, a program for teenage girls in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala that works to foster self-confidence and creative growth through writing and photography.

About the Photograph:

“This image was taken during the Day of the Dead celebrations in Zunil, a small, largely indigenous village in the southern highlands of Guatemala. In the weeks leading up to November 1st the cemetery is slowly transformed from rows of simple tombs to an incredibly lush, and vibrant sea of plant fronds, flowers and candles. Entire families spend days cleaning, painting, and finally decorating the tombs of their family members. By the end of their work the tombs are engulfed in the bright red leaves of Rooster’s Tail, highlighted with countless votives, and wreaths of Chrysanthemums, Lilies and Poinsettia. Family members then begin holding vigils at the grave site, sharing meals together, remembering their loved ones, and receiving guests as they come to pay their respects. For some the moment is clearly sombre, but for others it’s joyous, a chance to come together and celebrate family, both living and dead.”