Jacqueline Delaye’s (Lady Kunst) image âLa Calacaâ revisits the Mexican symbol of the calaca or skeleton, but does so with an emotional depth that transcends the simple iconography of death.
Visual description and impact.
In the center of the scene, the artist’s face is superimposed on a skull-sometimes only partially visible-generating a hybrid between life and death. It is not a festive costume, but an intimate transformation. The framing is in canv ish and the for can can can is the the the can can can and the is the is the is the can and the is the is the is the is the can. The light -cold or grayish- accentuates the bony coldness, while the shadows, deep, reinforce the sense of transcendence and mystery.
Interpretations and symbolism.
Celebration of cultural identity.
Rooted in Mexican traditions-the Day of the Dead-the calaca here becomes a symbol of memory, not fear. Delaye takes it back to dialogue with its roots and with the collective imaginary that embraces death as part of the fabric of life.
Beyond ornamentation
The skull does not adorn; as a mirror, it reveals. In her work, death becomes a foretaste, a mirror and a revelation. It is not fragility that is celebrated, but the awareness of it.
Duality of life/death
The juxtaposition of the face with the skull does not seek to stage a clash, but a fusion. Instead of opposition, we see continuity: life, although ephemeral, exists because death is part of its cycle.
Ritual and performance
The image functions as a visual rite: Delaye transfigures herself in front of the camera, performs a performative self-portrait in which she accepts the calaca as part of her own being, her history and her cultural belonging.
đ Emotions evoked.
Ancestral and contemporary plea: a silent homage to the ancestors is perceived, but also a personal self-exploration.
Tranquility in the face of the inevitable: we do not find horror, but a ritual stillness, dignified, illuminated from within.
Poetic intellect: the image speaks from the visual, without words or loaded symbolism, functioning as an iconic poem.