Counting Crosses

is an oil and acrylic painting composed of mixed media including paper mâché, cardboard, and yarn. This layered collage takes you on my childhood summer road trips through Mexico and is inspired by the photographs taken along the way. This painting emphasizes Mexico’s colorful culture, religion, and ideas on death. To pass time during each road trip, I would count the crosses we passed, which marked loved ones who lost their lives along the road and pray for each one. This was the same journey my family took yearly to connect with the world my parents grieve for. Each passing cross became a gateway to experiencing traditional foods, Shakira souvenirs, and my grandma’s home. The centered structure also represents the final cross in our journey, my grandma's family tomb.