Paper

I started doing these small figurative watercolors, entitled Puki Monsters, in the early nineties. Puki means vagina in Filipino. The early Pukis were playful gender avengers, romping through the history of Western painting, subverting some of my favorite masterpieces. In 1995, with the birth of my son Raphael, the monsters became MOMsters. Since I had been creating a feminist demonology from old religious paintings, it seemed natural to start working with images of the Madonna. She became a contemporary icon, who plays with cultural history by birthing hybrid babies. The MOMster is arrayed in rich garments, while the landscape reflects and magnifies her glory.