Portraits
Claudia Zapata:
“Roses define my life. The flower intertwines my family, cultural heritage, body, and art historical groundings. In 1531, Juan Diego claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary at Tepeyac Hill in Mexico. After being ridiculed, Juan Diego brought back roses blooming in the dead of winter as evidence of his sighting of an apparition. As he unveiled the cloak and the roses fell, the image of the Virgin Mary appeared on his cloak. This historical image is the basis for the ubiquitous presence of what we now call the Virgin of Guadalupe. In Chicanx culture, the Virgin is defined by its sacred and secular contexts, as seen in tattoo culture and Catholic shrines. This Virgin is a recurring inspiration for women’s names, as was the case for my mother, Maria Guadalupe Zapata. The rose’s presence has been ongoing, and I now have it tattooed on my chest as a resting foundation for the Virgin of Guadalupe medallion I wear daily.”