"Our Birth" - Valerie Aranda
"Our Birth" was painted in 1995 in the oil on canvas media. The 56" by 46" painting is really a self portrait of Valerie
Aranda giving birth to her daughter. Although the painting explores the physical act of childbirth, it also explores much more. "Our
Birth," inspired by Frieda Kahlos "My Birth" (1932), challenges the way the female body is viewed by both the culture and the church.
Everything from the placement of the women's hand to the concentrated look on her face explains the sexuality and sexuality of
women. 12
"Our Birth" was chosen for the Family Gallery because it shows the role of women in the family. Everything painted below
the waist is chaotic, but the soothing colors and calmness of the woman represents the acceptance of the role a Chicana must play. It
accurately represents the paradox of woman-hood: the delicacy and femininity of women yet the strength and burden they must carry.
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