Presentation: Angélica Becerra

My favorite presentation so far has been Angélica Becerra,  especially this self portrait titled "Nobody's Muse/Nobody's Pendeja/Self Portrait". There is text that accompanies the piece in her shop that explains how her self-portrait is her withdrawing consent to take her as a muse. A little bit of this explanation was read during the presentation, and it was what really caught my attention. Without trying to dilute a Chicana's experience by sharing my own, I did really relate to this. I never fully experienced the sentiment she was expressing until I moved to California, where (especially in parts of the OC) so many people have artistic ambitions but have never had to meet themselves on the same level as a person that has experienced poverty- or identity-based trauma. It really feels like femme queers and WoC are expected to be grateful when they are romanticized without their consent.

It really moved me to hear a woman reclaiming her right to her own depiction. People often want to paint our beauty or write about our ugliness, but no one knows the depth of either one better than we do. A self portrait as an act of self-love, self-discovery, and defiance is a very beautiful concept! Thank you to the person that presented on Angélica; I really appreciate it!