El último adiós; Ofrenda a mi abuelita

Most of my artwork is intuitive, meaning I have no specific assumptions for what I am creating, but rather
my hands roam free and record struggles, frustrations, and emotions at the moment of conception.
The Day of the Dead is a time of deep reflection on my departed relatives. While, death is a way of
transcending to another stage of life, it is also a celebration because it brings families together to
remember and pay tribute to their departed relatives.

Upon my arrival to the United States in 2000, I started new in Chicago and left behind 15 years of life in
my native Jalisco, México. The most moving memory of my departure is el último adiós (the last good
bye) to my abuelita María Tejeda de Jiménez.

…I remember vividly being on my knees in front of an altar of La Virgen de Guadalupe she had created
in the living room, as she was giving me her blessings; she hugged me tight and slid $50 into my
pocket. She said to me “be good and help your parents, they have worked hard for you and your
siblings’ future ” Tears started to travel down her cheeks as she was praying Padre Nuestro and it was
hard to kept from my crying. After our last good bye is when my journey began. Now I welcome my
abuelita to Chicago with this ofrenda, making her feel at home.