“When I was invited to reimagine the calavera for Colectivo, I was struck by the synchronicity—I had just purchased the Co-Optiva bag the day before. Though I didn’t grow up with Día de los Muertos, its spirit—vibrant colors, magical energy, joyful celebration, and honoring of ancestors—resonates deeply.

My work is rooted in storytelling and ancestral connection. In my recent exhibition, Gifts from the Dark, I explored identity, generational wounds, reclamation, and healing through my personal experiences and family history, including my mother’s immigration story. As I created this work, I felt my ancestors beside me—guiding and holding me through a difficult, yet beautiful, process of healing.

This design honors the matriarch, the Indigenous women of the Americas: those who migrated and those who have always been here. It’s a tribute to the womxn resisting oppression across this country.  Her steady gaze and radiant form carry memory and survival. The glowing colors and flowers reflect our sacred connection to the divine and illuminate the presence of our ancestors.

In a time of anti-immigrant rhetoric and systemic violence, this work centers resistance, community power, and ancestral pride. It’s a reminder: we are beautiful, sacred, divine souls—more powerful than they can ever imagine. It’s a reminder that our ancestors are always with us, lending their wisdom, strength, and infinite love.”