EILEEN ALCALDE

"Sol y Luna" is my personal birth and mothering story as well as an homage to the Mother and Fertility goddesses of the Incan and Mayan Civilizations. Playing on the image of "Madonna and Child," this piece illustrates how the two ancient civilizations honored birthing people and children and considered them sacred. The gold half moon is iconic of the Incan Goddess, Mama Quilla, or Mother Moon. The sun halo around the child references the Sun God, Inti. They are interconnected with nature as the mother's breast milk leaks into the waters that breathe life into the world.

This piece also illustrates the pain of motherhood and the stark differences between how these civilizations worshipped the mother and child and how today's society neglects birthing people and children. This country has the highest maternal death rate and yet denies access to health care, universal paid maternity leave and affordable child care. As a response to this, we are seeing a birthing revolution where mothers are seeking to return to ancient practices to heal colonial trauma and connect back to the sacred through ritual and community. This shift in consciousness seeks to birth new life, understanding and spiritual connection for our birthing people and children.

Eileen Alcalde is a mixed media artist originally from the New York area now based in Pittsburgh, PA. Currently navigating life as a first time mother and artist, Eileen's work has evolved from abstract explorations to figurative expressions. Her work analyzes the beauty and struggles of motherhood, it explores her multicultural identity as a daughter of Peruvian and Honduran immigrants and it responds to liberation struggles in the US and Latin America. Eileen's abstract expressions illustrate Utopian landscapes where she feels safe and most liberated. Primarily working in acrylic paint, oil paint, charcoal, and found objects, Eileen uses vibrant colors, strong lines and movement to translate her observations and emotional responses to these subjects on canvas and paper.

@eileenalcalde.art