Child with prima donna

By: Isa Cueto

The following is a collage made from magazine paper and glue, with a written reflection by the author.

A contradiction inherent in me: A desire to be a mother, ballooning against my indignant grip on childless freedom. In this depiction, I invert the classic “madonna with child” icon—the end-all-be-all maternal figure, a contradiction herself (both virginal and not). The infant looms large, with a hold on its diminutive mother, threatening to destroy her. Angels, dressed as volcanologists, root for motherhood while seeing the dangers ahead. And yet, there is also a lush paradise nearby—the beauty motherhood may lead to. Everything horrifying and gorgeous existing in close proximity.