30 x 25 cm, acrylic on canvas (2016)
for sale
“Cuaresma“ pertains to the forty days of Lent from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, marking a period of fasting and penitence. Since childhood, I have always associated eating fish with Lent. This piece is my reflection on the meaning of Lent revolving around the symbolism of fish and its two-fold significance – as symbol for Christ (“Ichthys”) as well as the practice of abstinence.
Growing up in a predominantly Catholic country, our family observed the traditions of Lent with nearly as much fervor as those of Christmas. For my cousins and myself, Cuaresma was our early and practical introduction into to the meaning of obedience and sacrifice. We would follow the lead of our parents and attend the high mass on Maundy Thursday, do our Visita Iglesia together and join the Good Friday procession. On all Fridays of Lent, our mothers would cook only fish dishes in many ways: fried, steamed, with soup, and our most preferred, grilled. Armed with “pamaypays” (local fans made from palms), we would grill fish over warm coals, alternately fanning the fish then ourselves as we try to keep cool under the hot summer sun.
altered state by arlyn 