West Texas woman transforms into ‘La Catrina’

SAN ANGELO, Texas ( KTAB/KRBC ) – One West Texas woman from San Angelo uses her makeup and design skills to honor her Hispanic culture. With every brush stroke and attention to detail in her costumes, Aracely Marquez is transforming into an iconic symbol in Mexican culture, known as ‘La Catrina.’

“A Catrina is basically the icon of the Dia de los Muertos. She is the face of Dia de los Muertos. She was created by Jose Guadalupe Posada in 1910, but back then, it was just a drawing. At the end of it all, it doesn’t matter how well dressed you are, fine dressed you are, or how much money you have. We are all the same, which is bones,” explained Marquez.

Through the years, La Catrina has become more colorful and vibrant, and that’s how many know her today. For the past five years, Marquez has been using her imagination to transform into her own version of La Catrina, using makeup and design techniques to keep her in touch with her roots.

“I truly love it. I truly put my everything in it when I’m creating these outfits. I do feel different. I don’t know how to explain it, but it feels really wonderful. I do feel like a different person, and I’m actually embodying what I had in my imagination,” added Marquez.

Each Catrina look takes an average of 3 months to come to life, but other outfits can be quite personal. Her latest Catrina was inspired by her late grandfather.

“I have a book where I have all my drawings stamped with the year and I go from there. It’s pretty much on point to what I was thinking in my head. This one was dedicated to him in honor of my grandfather, who was brutally murdered and was something that was very hard that happened, but I want to dedicate it to him because in my eyes, he died a warrior,” shared Marquez.

Through her craft, she breaks down misconceptions people may have about the tradition.

“It has nothing to do with Halloween because I’ve gotten asked that as well, and they think it’s just an elaborate costume when it’s not; it’s totally something different. Respecting the culture, it’s an honor. It’s an honor to portray a Catrina,” explained Marquez.

With every brush stroke, Marquez tells the story of Hispanic culture, hoping to reach a wider audience and inspire future generations.

“I really want to touch people like my daughter or any other little kids or adults who are interested in it to share it, share the information, share the creativity, and share how beautiful the tradition really is,” said Marquez.

The Day of the Dead will be celebrated on November 1st and 2nd. Marquez attends various festivals across Texas to share her art in her spare time, hoping people will feel inspired and ask questions.

Editor’s note: The footage used in this video was captured at the annual San Angelo Hispanic Heritage Museum and Cultural Center Dia De Los Muertos Celebration.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com.