(HERE WE ARE)

A qui Estamos is a series of paintings and performances by artist Arantxa Martinez Dugas which were produced as a means to bring attention to the issue of femicide in Mexico, the oversexualization of the female body, and the corresponding frustration and hope that accompany such brutal and enduring phenomena. Dugas, who is originally from Mexico, moved to Montreal when she was eighteen, and the artist is currently in her third year of a Bachelor’s degree in Studio Art at Concordia. Dugas has a long-held interest in collage and multi-media creation. Her current artistic explorations, along with painting and drawing, include sculpture work, as well as fibre and textiles.

A qui Estamos is a layered work that includes three paintings and a photographed performance (these are the images included in Yiara). Dugas began conceptualizing this work after attending an International Women’s Day demonstration in her home country. The women in Mexico use this day as an opportunity to take to the streets in protest, spreading a voice for missing women and victims of femicide. The bandanas worn by the performers in A qui Estamos, close friends of Dugas, had been worn during the demonstration. They function as a reference to the moment of inspiration for this piece, and to the intentions and goals of political gathering. As a whole, the artwork represents a form of protest, and functions as a memorial and tribute to the women who inspire the artist. With A qui Estamos, Dugas wishes to honour their experiences in the ongoing struggle against patriarchal oppression.

A 2021 study by Amnesty International found that, on a global scale, over fifty thousand femicides are committed each year. In her works, Dugas makes use of a dark strip of black around the eyes of the women photographed to showcase the enduring pain of victims and survivors. A profusion of power, defiance, and a thrilling lack of fear is clearly rendered on the faces of the figures. A qui Estamos echoes the unique and unmistakable energy and power of women coming together to fight for themselves and for each other. Infused with trauma, pain, hope, strength, and joy, this piece is abundant in its use of colour and movement. Dugas uses warm, vibrant colours to invoke a feeling of unity, compassion, and sisterhood. It is important to her that hope is equally represented along with grief. Dugas openly shares with Yiara the reality of Mexican women living under a corrupt government, and wishes to empower women across the world with her work, encouraging them to speak up, fight against fear, and band together in community.

This artwork seeks to illuminate the failing legal framework around femicide, and the artwork further works to interrogate intersections within a social memory that allows for the murder of women to be naturalized. Aqui Estamos is a call to action; in representing the mixed and myriad emotions that accompany the brutal treatment of those affected by femicide, it aims to re-dignify their memory, not only for their families, but for their communities.