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Esperanza Gama

 

 

Emotions are mostly expressed by the direct contact of the human eye. The ability to see was my primary ambition at the beginning of my artistic career. Another very interesting form of expression to me was to try to metamorphose the mystical images of dreams into inspiration for my work.

In recent years I have become intrigued by the mysteries of other people lives. By consequence, I have developed an interest in reading biographies that often do not include photographs. By reading such books one has the opportunity to imagine the visual history without someone else's interpretations. This interest took shape in my last solo exhibit entitled Mujeres de Cuatro Siglos (Women of Four Centuries) and was my artistic biography of women of the last four centuries.

Los milagros rojos de Antonieta

I have always admired the connection and passion expressed in the brief life of Antonieta Rivas Mercado (1900-1931), celebrated writer, editor, and dynamic patron and founder of both the theatre Ulises and Mexico's Symphony Orchestra. She was destined to assume a place in history. Born to a family of influence, her father was the architect responsible for
Mexico City's iconic "Angel de Independencia." Her life was tinted by personal tragedies; overwhelmed by a failed arranged marriage and an unrequited love for a fellow artist, Antonieta finally lost the only control she had over her life. In 1931, she finally silenced her aching heart in the sacred sanctuary of Notre Dame.

Blue Chances

In the celestial expanse where hearts are exchanged and souls united, the senses are heightened to a profound and surreal degree. It is a moment in time when curious cupids hover and destiny is left to chance. This painting is a self-portrait of the moment when I offered, or rather when my heart offered itself, to my future husband. When my soul recognized, out of many others of similar stature and form, its one true mate.

Ma-chez-mo

Machismo is a powerful and oppressive reality for many women throughout the world. It is an unwritten code of manhood, which implicitly defines and constrains a woman's role in society. I came to know the limiting effects of machismo in my family home as a little girl and into my adolescence. While I felt the direct impact of machismo, it was never more potently manifested than during the lives of my mother and grandmother. It was during the lives of these beloved women that a preponderance of male aggression was seen as a symbol of virility. My painting is a tribute to them, and to the countless other women who still suffer this disturbing reality throughout our modern world.