Decolonized

Assistants: Rah Azul, Perla Serrano, Stephanie Moreno, Manny Velazquez, Karina Ceja. and many more. This mural was created based on the window and awning, bringing the mural into a 3rd dimension and awakening the imagination by seeing something through a playful perspective. The womyn in the mural manifested as I worked on it, she turned out to resemble a strong womyn in our community Cristina Tacata. The tattoo on her arm is the Aztec moon goddess Coyochoutli, she is releasing the mahkaws and monarch butterflies from her cage, setting them free from the things that hold us back, the monarch butterflies symbolizing immigration reform. The flowers are California Poppies a remembrance of how they used to once cover the hills of California. This mural I feel is representative of the current, educated chicano generation that is taking action in the NE Valley, more specifically the female energy of the community. Photo © Javier Martinez