Unfortunately, I lost the documentation of 'La muerte niña' installation with an old computer, and all I have left are these photos from a phone that don't do justice to it. It was a beautiful piece about remembering to live and love that inspired calm.

We don't like thinking about dying, but apparently, remembering death is important because we have created memorials over the centuries.

'La muerte niña' (child death) is the name of a memorial photography practice that arrived in Mexico from Paris in the mid-XIX century. Infant mortality was high, and postmortem portraiture wasn't new; however, photographing the recently deceased became affordable after the invention of the Daguerrotype in 1839. For many families, 'La muerte niña' photographs, also known as 'Angelitos,' little angels, were the only images they would ever have to remember their loved ones. In them, infants dressed in white appear to be sleeping in a beautiful setting adorned with flowers.

I come from a culture that celebrates death. The Mexican Day of the Death is famous worldwide, but not many people know that the celebration has two days. November 1st, the day of the little angels (día de los angelitos), is in memory of the kids, and November 2nd is in memory of the adults.

After I was invited to the 'Viva Muerta' exhibit for the Day of the Death in Berkeley, I decided to focus on 'El día de los angelitos.' My artwork often focuses on kids because they are unique and vulnerable; what happens to us during childhood affects our future and the health of our society. They don't only deserve a beautiful childhood but also need a healthy youth to become healthy adults.

We don't like thinking about death, but we can't escape it, and not having a healthy relationship with it affects our decision-making. Not thinking about it stops us from enjoying our loved ones, following our dreams, or enjoying each day as if it were the last.