The Face that hides itself to be seen (2010)

Melanie Cervantes
11″ x 14″
1 – Color, Hand printed linoleum print,  Printed in San Leandro, 2010

The late Howard Zinn  once said that the “Zapatista uprising in Chiapas was certainly one of the most dramatic and important instances in our time of a genuine grassroots movement against oppression.” For me the uprising of the EZLN (Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional/ Zapatista Army of National Liberation) in 1994 was the first movement in opposition to neoliberalism, genocide and greed that I was able to watch unfold in my lifetime. They continue to inspire me as their steadfast commitment to creating a movement for self-determination and autonomy for the Indigenous people of Mexico pushes against a variety of forces. This is a portrait of a young boy with an EZLN ski mask.