'A Pilgrimage Across Cultures': Tamanna Bembenek on finding her third space in Mexico
For artist and entrepreneur Tamanna Bembenek, Mexico has become more than a place to live — it has become the freedom to exist without labels, to explore ancient wisdom across cultures, and to create art that bridges her Indian heritage with her American identity and her passion for historical civilizations.
The concept of a "third place" — a neutral gathering space outside home and work — entered popular consciousness when Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz championed it in the 1990s. But the term originated with sociologist Ray Oldenburg, who coined it in his 1989 book "The Great Good Place." The book became a surprise bestseller and a New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice, defining the third place as a space for informal, free social interaction essential to democracy.
For Bembenek, however, the third place has evolved into something deeper: not just a physical location, but a psychological space where she can simply be herself.
Escaping the boxes
In recent years, Bembenek found herself increasingly constrained by the need to choose sides in an increasingly polarized America. Political affiliation became less about values and more about tribal identity. Social media algorithms sorted people into ever-narrower categories based on age, income, zip code and which side of a hashtag they landed on.
"Instead of feeling free to choose the values and characteristics that would nurture my own identity as a good human first — regardless of any other labels — I felt I had to fit into someone else's box, under a category they had defined," Bembenek writes.
The anxiety and loneliness that resulted sent her searching for answers in books and podcasts about ancient history — Roman, Egyptian, Indian and Mesoamerican civilizations. She found that exploring these ancient stories made her feel less alone, offering timeless themes that reminded her of shared human mortality and connection.
Living in Mexico provided the space she needed to pursue this exploration without constraint. Mexico is estimated to host approximately 1.6 million American citizens, making it the largest concentration of U.S. expatriates anywhere in the world, with Mexico City alone home to around 700,000 Americans. For many, including Bembenek, the country offers proximity to the United States without the feeling of being boxed in.
Ancient symbols, modern canvas
Bembenek began incorporating ancient symbols and allegories into her artwork, drawing on her knowledge of art history, handwoven textiles, astronomy and life sciences. Her painting "The Matrix" exemplifies this approach: dark clouds part to reveal ancient scripts — Sanskrit, Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Brahmi, Japanese Kanji, Maya glyphs and Egyptian hieroglyphs interwoven with English — symbolizing the interconnected wisdom of both ancient and contemporary times.
The inclusion of Maya glyphs carries particular significance. Maya script is one of only five writing systems in human history that was independently invented, alongside Sumerian cuneiform, Egyptian hieroglyphs, Chinese characters and the Indus Valley script. It is also the only Mesoamerican writing system that has been substantially deciphered. Dating back to at least 300-250 BCE based on inscriptions found at San Bartolo, Guatemala, Maya writing was used continuously until the late 17th century, about 200 years after Spanish conquest.
"A crack in the middle invites the viewer to break free from all inherited boundaries — reminding us of the underlying unity of our species," Bembenek explains of her work.
The third eye connection
A striking moment came when Bembenek discovered that her collaborator, Mexican artist Miguel Cuauhtémoc, had independently arrived at the same recurring image in his work: the third eye. The symbol has roots in ancient spiritual philosophies of India, China and Southeast Asia, where it represents a gateway to inner realms and higher consciousness, often associated with enlightenment.
In Hinduism, the third eye is associated with Lord Shiva and represents the Ajna chakra, or sixth chakra, symbolizing spiritual wisdom, knowledge and the ability to see beyond ordinary perception. According to Hindu mythology, Shiva used his third eye to destroy Kama, the god of desire. In Buddhism, the third eye is referred to as the Eye of Consciousness or urna, often represented as a dot or mark on the forehead of Buddha statues, symbolizing enlightenment and the ability to see beyond physical sight.
"Miguel grew up immersed in the symbols and rituals of ancient Mexico, and I grew up surrounded by the colors and deities of India," Bembenek notes. "Separately, we both kept arriving at the same recurring image, the third eye, which we each use to explore higher consciousness. Neither of us knew the other was painting it until we saw each other's work."
Creativity as antidote
Through her artistic practice, Bembenek has discovered that creativity itself serves as the antidote to anxiety and disconnection. The process of creating art — finding connections between ancient cultures, working through frustration and following her curiosity — has become her true third space.
"In that space, I stop performing for others and follow my own curiosity," she writes. "I don't have to settle into a single version of my identity. Pueblo life in Mexico, my American individuality, and the ancient civilizations that shape us all can coexist instead of competing."
This sense of wholeness and creative freedom will be on display in "A Pilgrimage Across Cultures," Bembenek's collaborative exhibition with Cuauhtémoc running November 1-15 at Galería Torres del Reloj in Polanco, Mexico City. The gallery itself carries historical significance: originally built in 1937 by architect Enrique Aragón Echegaray as a dovecote with three thousand nests to promote the Chapultepec Polanco neighborhood subdivision, it was converted into an art gallery in 1992.
For those unable to attend the exhibition in person, Bembenek's portfolio can be viewed at www.tamannabembenek.com.
Bembenek, co-owner of Mexico News Daily along with her husband Travis, was born in India and studied and worked in the United States before making Mexico her home. She has previously written about her journey in essays including "The paradox of simplicity," "Ahorita and the art of finding meaning beyond the clock" and "Becoming a kid again: How Mexico has unleashed my inner childhood superhero."
