The Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) is a tradition with deep roots in Mexican culture, blending Indigenous symbolism with religious influences. One of its most striking elements is the celebration of death through skulls (calaveras) and skeleton imagery—especially La Catrina. Often depicted as the skeleton of a woman dressed in elaborate clothing, La Catrina has become an iconic figure. But her origin comes from a Mexican political cartoon, satirizing the obsession with wealth and status. The message endures: in death, we are all the same. No matter the riches or finery, beneath it all we return to bone.

As someone with Mexican heritage, it might surprise you to know that I didn’t grow up celebrating this holiday. But as an adult, I’ve come to embrace it—and as an artist, I wanted to experiment with its imagery in a medium I don’t often use.

This sculpture took me several weeks, and while there are things I’d do differently in hindsight, I’m proud of the outcome. I blended traditional themes with my love of impressionism and bold colors, aiming for something that feels both celebratory and poignant. Along with paint, I incorporated fabric and iridescent acrylics to give texture and shimmer. The figure looks light and lively, despite being symbolic of death, but it’s surprisingly heavy to hold.

In recent years, as I’ve lost several family members, I’ve found myself exploring different ways of becoming more comfortable with death. This piece is part of that process. It carries both sorrow and loss, but also celebrates the beauty of life. That’s what I love most about Día de los Muertos: its reminder that in the end, we all meet the same fate, and in that truth, we’re all joined together as equals.