Mexican Tree of Life

Artist: Beall, Barbara

Date: 1979

Medium: Glazed ceramic tile

Artwork Dimensions: 120 x 144 x 1 1/2 in.

County Department: Aging and Disabilities

Artwork Site: Los Nietos Library

Supervisorial District: 4

Current Status: On view

About the Artwork: Ceramicist Barbara Beall designed the enameled tile mural, The Mexican Tree of Life, to be an integrated part of the Los Nietos Library. The tree of life is a popular image in Mexican folk art – its origins arising from a combination of pre-colonial ceramic craft and post-colonial biblical imagery of the Garden of Eden. Mexican ceramic artists, especially in the highland region of Metepec, create highly intricate trees of life that showcase their skill. The tree of life is often used to adorn a communal event such as a wedding or a funeral. Beall’s tree, like other Mexican trees of life, is filled with exotic birds, flowers, and butterflies. The artwork has been a part of the Los Nietos Library since it was dedicated on July 27, 1979.

About the Artist: Barbara Beall was the founder of the Barbara Vantrease Beall Studio. Many well-known ceramic tile muralists and ceramicists apprenticed and worked at the studio, which was located in Torrence, CA. The studio was very active in the 1970s. Other public projects include The Lady Liberty mural in the Los Angeles downtown Fashion District, as well as murals for the Autry Museum and Disney World’s Epcot Center.