Inequitable-Repression

The first piece in this series, Ramona, was completed in May 2020. She embodies the fire I feel when I am silenced, as a woman, a Latina, and the daughter of immigrants. The silencing of our culture, our beliefs, and our heritage has long been a quiet demand: stay in line, don’t cause trouble. But that quiet builds into heat, a fire that refuses to be contained.

​

This series began after losing my mother and amid the injustices that filled 2020 with pain and unrest. Through grief, anger, and exhaustion, I turned to my roots, to my culture, to find strength. Inequitable – Repression became a way to channel the collective struggles of my community: our pride, our pain, our unbreakable spirit. Inequitable – Repression became a release, an act of expression, love, and defiance.

​

The pieces come in pairs, spouses, partners, reflections of love and resilience. I always display the female slightly higher than her male counterpart, reversing the traditional belief in Latino culture that the man leads. In my world, he lifts her up. Though both figures are silenced by the “X” across their mouths, they find strength in each other. The woman still must fight harder to belong, but she does so with grace, power, and heart.

​

Each mask carries symbols of my culture and my story: the braided hair from my Folklórico days, a sign of strength, beauty, and honor; feathers that burn with restrained anger and passion; charro bowties for my male figures, representing pride and tradition. Together they stand, silenced, yet unbroken, holding, supporting, and lifting one another through it all.

​

Each pair bears names from my family tree, a tribute to those who came before me. They are my ancestors, my voice, my fire, and I am profoundly proud of them. These pieces are for my family and for all who have ever been silenced.