Mother and daughter

Artwork by Hector Rivera

Mother and daughter

lead on paper

2022, 11” x 14”

From the artist: Depicting the Virgin Mary with an aura of darkness, I attempt to reject my culture’s conventional values that generalize women as a symbol of purity. Introduced by European colonizers as a symbol of femininity, The Virgin Mary exposes patriarchal undertones that prize virginal purity rather than Mary’s importance and power. However, once that conformity is rejected, Mary becomes autonomous over her own image, no longer just a mother to a son. Ultimately, it is up to you in your interpretation.