This body of work was inspired by Reyes McNamara's research on non-binary and gender variance present within Aztec and Mesoamerican culture. Focusing on Tlazolteotl, the deity of lust, sex-workers, midwives and filth, Reyes McNamara was interested in the idea of rituals that explored filth as something that is inherently generative, that moved past ideas of shame and focused on the growth and the life made through it. Tlazolteotl is a figure that lies in the in-between. They’re the one that seduces you, but also cleanses you of any residual negative energy that clouds your spirit. They’re known to eat sins, and are often portrayed with the dirt of the filthy deeds left around the bottom of their mouth. This blackness around their mouth is said to be the genesis of life. The decay and rot of any misdeeds is digested and then released as a rich resource back to the earth.