Acrylic paint and paper on canvas
20”x 24”x1.5”
2023

Self-portrait with no mouth. This piece represents my inability to speak Spanish, which has held me back in a profound way throughout my life. I have been trying to teach myself the language for years but am nowhere near fluent yet. This creates a great deal of shame and embarrassment and keeps me feeling like an outsider to my own culture.  I hesitate to connect with others in the Puerto Rican community for fear that I am not “Puerto Rican enough” because I cannot speak Spanish. It is both my greatest vulnerability and most significant life goal.