MADRE (2019–ongoing)

Overview

Marisol Mendez’s work journeys into ancestral and collective histories of colonialism, racism and traditionalism—all of which shaped her experience of growing up in Cochabamba, Bolivia. MADRE (2019–ongoing) is a series of portraits interrogating the whitewashed, phallocentric and imperialist representation of women in Bolivia. Mendez spent hours conversing with her subjects in the presence of her mother, questioning patriarchal representations of womanhood and collaborating with subjects on how they would like to be photographed. Mendez juxtaposes Catholic symbols and echoes of Andean folklore to reflect what it means to be a woman in Bolivia with an inheritance that includes colonisation, patriarchy and religious dogma.