#chichimeca war

[aanaya-art]

Since I can only post one video at a time, here is my most recent animation before color.

[aanaya-art]

“Matzayani: La Primera Nahual” 2025 Senior Thesis.

My first official animation. The coloring is a bit rushed but I’ll keep improving!!

“My thesis is an original story; inspired by old legends, ancient gods, and set during a great conflict known as the Chichimeca War. This war occurred 30 years after the fall of the Aztec Empire, where the Spanish continued to encroach on Mexica land. The remaining indigenous tribes, later known as the Chichimecas, retaliated to push back against slave labor and the strong-armed efforts of the Catholic Church. The visuals of this animation tease a bittersweet tale about colonialism, pride, revenge, and the consequences of surviving. The animation highlights the parallels between a victim and their aggressor. Symbolized by a succession of violence between the past and present.

The girl, named Matzayani, represents the past, a victim of the terrors of European progress. Whereas the jaguar, her counterpart, is the present. A representation of generational trauma and anger; who has become a beast in an act to preserve her way of life”.