“Rigoberta Menchu” Mixed Media, 2007.

This piece explores the writings and life of Rigoberta Menchu in her book, “I, Rigoberta Menchu” (1983).  I used sticky notes to cover four mirrors with quotes from the book that best expressed her voice.  I use the idea of maximalism (or the opposite of minimalism) to overwhelm the viewer with more words than they would want to read while observing the piece.

Menchu’s words block your ability to look into the mirror to see your face, just as her own people’s identity’s are being covered up or destroyed.  Her stories force the reader to put look deeper at the issues surrounding the mistreatment of native Guatemalans by foreigners as well as in other latin countries.  Menchu stresses the loss of identity through a destruction of culture in her stories and uses her words to urge others to work together to stop this from happening further.  By writing her stories down, she makes her statement known to people across the world.  The head of the latin doll at the center of the box cannot be seen from eye level.  The hidden doll provides a more literal metaphor to the loss of identity.