“The End of Guilt”

Ramona Martinez

8 x 10”: India ink on clayboard

ARTIST STATEMENT

The Immaculate Heart of the Mary is depicted with a sword from right to left, referencing the prophecy by Simeon in Luke 2:35 that a sword would pierce her soul. This self-portrait depicts the Virgin Mary when she decides to remove the sword, transmuting her grief into action. 

Mary is often depicted as passive, but she really wasn't. After all, she said yes to an angel when it told her something inconceivable, and in one of the Gospels she was at the Crucifixion, where she would've tended to the dying Jesus and helped bury him. Regardless of whether any of this actually happened or not, Mary is an example to me of what we can accomplish and learn when we say yes to the Universe/God. The transmutation of grief and guilt is something that many of us are working on during this time, and I try to emulate Mary's qualities of strength and openness as we prepare internally to create the new world together.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Ramona Martinez is a visual artist and writer based in Charlottesville, VA. Her work explores sex and power through traditional religious imagery.

To find out more about Ramona’s art and writing, check out her Instagram (@by_ramona_martinez) or her website.