Dominican Republic, is one of the two dozen nations in the world with a ban on abortions under all circumstances — even when the woman’s life is at risk. This was the case for Rosaura Almonte Hernández, aka Esperancita, who passed away in 2012 at the age of 16. Esperancita was found to have Leukemia and was denied chemotherapy treatment because she was pregnant but the Dominican Republic’s abortion ban prohibited her from terminating the pregnancy. I made this tryptic titled Condición de Manipulación to both commemorate Esperancita and her story as well as call attention to the rights of folks with reproductive organs to be able to dictate what they do with their own bodies. I did so by weaving re-appropriated images of Rosaura Almonte Hernández, her mother Rosa Hernández, and a photoshoot of @tokichard in which she is pictured writing in her Diary “Querido Diario, Hoy quiero singar” tranlasted to Dear Diary, Today I’d like to have sex. This phrasing calling to the desire to have sex as well as the larger desire to have freedom in one’s own body. I am currently working to make these paper weavings MUCH larger. If you or anyone you know has access to screen printing, riso printing, or know of any residencies/scholarships that would allow me access to these things, please connect us. Con mucho amor ❣️ Duneska