Slaughter of the Innocent

84 1/4" x 44 1/4"
Watercolor and acrylic on paper
2019

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When I saw the actual film footage of the Ponce Massacre, my psyche was so affected I couldn’t process what I had witnessed. The images that seared into my mind yearned for artistic expression but couldn’t because of a personal profound sorrow that lingered for a long time. How do I make sense of the carnage? Why is it that I am now more aware of it? I wanted to create an expression for this outrage but I believed I could not do justice to my people. However, the horrors of Colonialism and oppression are rearing their hideous heads again, aiming directly at Puerto Rico. In response, I offer this as my interpretation of the slaughter of the 19 innocent Puerto Ricans executed in Ponce on March 21, 1937, and to all people being subjugated to this day.