Nopalli Beads

Pialli (hello)! My name is Isis (ee-sees) and I am an Indigenous Chicana, from Wixarika, Mexica (Nahua), and Spanish ancestry. My curiosity towards beadwork started at a very early age when my family and I would visit my mother’s homelands in Nayarit, Mexico. Beadwork connected me to our Wixarika (Huichol) culture and I loved carrying that connection everywhere I went. 

In 2020, while navigating many life changes, I felt called to create my own beadwork. Beading has nurtured my spiritual growth and deepened my (re)connection to my Indigenous identity. It has become a powerful outlet for expressing my creativity and has made it possible to share my medicine with others. ​

Nopalli means cactus in Nahuatl, the language of the Mexica. Nopales, known as “the plant of life,” hold significant meaning in Aztec traditions, and they are a food that I have felt a lot of love through. I use this as a symbol for my work to symbolize reclamation and resilience.

Tlazocamati (thank you) for supporting my beadwork. I hope that it brings you the same healing and connection it has brought me.

Art-A-Whirl

Art-A-Whirl Main Page

Nopalli Beads is open on Friday, Saturday & Sunday of Art-A-Whirl weekend.