Drawings

Deer Charmer – Supalayain Irama (2026)

This large mixed media drawing by artist Isa Rodriguez shows the ghosts of four deer walking through a sun-drenched landscape.

Irama is the wayuunaiki word for deer.

This drawing illustrates a myth in which deer suddenly disappear, causing drought and starvation.

A talented young hunter tracks the missing animals into the spirit-realm, where he makes a deal with Pulowi, a dangerous wilderness goddess. The hunter is transformed into a deer and leads the animals back to the hunting grounds, sacrificing his humanity to ensure the survival of his people.

This drawing places the audience in the
hunter’s vantage point. Surrounded by meticulously drawn details, the missing deer become a strange, ghostly mass either walking away from or toward the viewer.

Deer Charmer – Supayalain Irama(2026) by Isa Rodriguez
Mixed media drawing in in colored pencil, alcohol ink and acrylic ink on toned paper, 40×50 inches

Kalaira (2024 – 2026)

Kalaira is a series of drawings of Jaguars living on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Jaguar, or “Kalaira” in the Wayunaiki language, is a demon-god of survival, hunting and fear, whose spots were burned onto their body in a firestorm. They are symbols of queerness, matrilineal leadership, strength, and intelligence. The titles come from events in Kalaira’s myths.

These drawings reference remote trail-camera images of jaguars migrating between Mexico and Arizona, responding to conversations about migration, territory, and boundaries.