Delicada translates to “delicate” or “fragile,” but in Spanish, the word can also describe someone as sensitive, easily hurt, or easily offended. Its meaning shifts depending on who says it. It can be affectionate, dismissive, or critical.
The work is rooted in my experience of a past relationship and the painful ways I compared my femininity to the woman my ex-partner cheated on me with. I questioned whether I had been too outspoken, too difficult, or too hard, measuring myself against her softness, sweetness, and the way she seemed to embody the kind of femininity I believed he wanted. Over time, however, I began to recognize myself in her. We were not simply two women being compared against one another; we were two women who had experienced similar patterns of manipulation and emotional harm. Although we are very different we were experiencing a similar situation and I wanted to depict that in the cacti frame and the lace and having them intersect, but never touching. The two small pink lace squares with thorns shifts the work from comparison toward recognition and solidarity.


