En Memoria Digna exists at the intersection of a Día de los Muertos altar and a photo wall of a family living room, where artistic translations of objects and images representing the lives and memories of Cecilia Yépiz (1971-2021) and Anapaola Jaramillo (2007-2020) come together. I first learned about the femicides of Cecilia and Anapaola through social media and sensationalist articles and images. After speaking with their families and friends, I seek to interpret a fraction of their essence through representative paintings and objects reminiscent of those altars and family spaces. Getting to know them through the memories of their loved ones has been a profound honor.

Objects and images serve as narrative tools that help us associate memories with people. A Día de los Muertos altar facilitates these associations. We remember our loved ones through the food, drinks, and sweets they enjoyed, offering these as a tribute. In a traditional Mexican living room, family photographs are often displayed as a way to preserve and recall significant moments. All the objects in this display, though mostly recognizable, hold a deeper meaning for their families and friends, encapsulating aspects of Cecilia and Anapaola’s essence.

Through this multimedia installation, I strive to contribute more humanity to the narratives of Cecilia and Anapaola and provide them with a space of their own—one that exists beyond the alarming statistics of femicide. I seek to recontextualize them against media portrayals by emphasizing who they were, how they lived, and what made them unique.

I am deeply grateful to their families and friends for entrusting me with their memories and allowing me, through my hands and my gaze, to attempt to reflect a small glimmer of the light they shared with the world.