One of the first photos that I made for my “Guadalupe” series is a portrait of my grandmother, who I called Nana. I made this image on a 4×5 camera for an assignment at San Francisco City College. 

I didn’t yet know that I was subconsciously beginning to create images that were inspired by Our Lady of Guadalupe. The image is significant because my grandma was one of the first people to introduce me to Our Lady of Guadalupe and in many ways, she reminds me a lot of the saint. Both figures are strong, faithful, and loving Mexican women.

There is something about my grandmother’s pose —  especially the way she is peacefully standing in her garden, wearing a dress covered in flowers —  that reminds me so much of Our Lady Guadalupe.