Maruja's Story

While I was a graduate student, I took the self portrait practice as a theme for my research. I often found that most of the times, when I was standing in front of a camera, I was trying to reconstruct the memory I had of other stories, wether from films or books, or operas, and that the first thing I could remember was how desirable I found the female characters in them. In the end, every time I look at the results, I find myself uncomfortable with my own image, posing as an intruder in a narrative that was never meant to be lead by a woman like myself. Nevertheless, I realize that the same fantasies and desires of being looked at in the same way those female characters are must inhabit every woman I've known. I was raised to find princesses and femme fatales desirable, after all. Other images in this series try to recreate my mental images of fear or dreadfulness.

Pregnant Maruja. 
Digital painting on photography.
Maruja as Nefernefernefer. 
 Digital photography, gouache, color pencils and watercolor on paper, scanned objects. 
Maruja's Wedding.  
Digital photography and scanned objects. 
Maruja as Velma Kelly I.
 Digital photography, acrylic, graphite and watercolor on paper. 
Maruja as Velma Kelly  II. 
Digital photography, acrylic, graphite and watercolor on paper. 
Maruja as Satine. 
Digital photography and color pencils on paper. 
Maruja as Butterfly.  
Digital photography, color pencils on paper and projected objects. 
Maruja as Liz Bennet. 
Digital photography, color pencils and watercolor on paper. 
Maruja as Liz Bennet, Alejandro as Mr. Darcy. 
Digital photography, color pencils and watercolor on paper. 
Maruja as Desire.  
Digital photography, gouache and watercolor on paper. 
Maruja as Death. 
Digital photography, gouache and watercolor on paper. 
Maruja in Harem. 
Digital painting on photography. 
Maruja as Mimì. 
Digital photography, acrylic and gouache on paper. 

Also in this section

2014
Fictions. Real reactions to imaginary stimuli.
2022
Photomontages II. Portraits of a Woman
2022
Portraits of a Woman
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