Catrina de mi Corazón

“El muerto al pozo y el vivo al gozo pero en Día de Muertos que se disfruten uno al otro.”

Catrinas began as a satire, mocking those who tried to erase their ancestry with fancy French clothes. While Dia de Muertos goes way back as a native indigenous tradition, the catrina is a not-so-old response to cultural colonization. It is an evolutionary response to adaptation, oppression, cultural changes, and, ironically, to a distinct will to let ancestral traditions live on. So, of course, with Día de Muertos coming up, this magical collab made itself happen.

"In revolutionary newspapers and inexpensive literature read by the working poor, José Guadalupe Posada mocked the bourgeois by drawing them as Calaveras: the feeble dead pretentiously posturing as the luxurious living, clad in European clothes, their hypocrisy and vanity undeniable." (M.Miller)

The makeup for this shoot was done by Liz Acevedo; she's a super talented Self-taught MUA based in Renton, WA. Her professionalism and skills make her a preferred artist for many models and events like weddings and quinceañeras. However, I believe her talent really shines through her fantasy work. She takes on elaborate makeup projects where she can recreate unique scenes, characters, and color palettes from creepy/scary to fantasy glam. Together, Liz and I worked with emerging model Janny A. who brought her personality and passion to each shot. It was a fantastic collaborative project that I am super proud of. 

The makeup took Liz about hours, then Janny had to drive to the location but was stuck in horrible Seattle traffic in full makeup (chingona!)

Janny is always great to work with; her spirit and confidence are contagious. We danced, played with props, and had a fun, creative, and collaborative photoshoot. Thanks for your good energy, Janny.

The earrings are a piece of Queen de mi Corazon handmade by Mexican artisans with the image of a Corazón from the popular Mexican bingo "Lotería." Coincidentally, the word Lotería also happens to mean the Lotto. So I chose to use these earrings to represent the mocking nature of Catrinas, who always get a good chuckle at greed and the bourgeoisie.

I love collaborations and finding ways to stay rooted in our traditions while practicing, evolving, and looking forward. Grateful I keep finding incredible people to create with.

Hasta la próxima!

P.