Elina Chauvet Mirrors the World

ByVicky Hamlin

Elina Chauvet is a true icon; as feminist, artist, speaker of truth to power, she shows us how it is done. Born in Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico, in 1959, Chauvet is a largely self-taught artist who has been making work about gendered violence for decades. Elina has earned numerous awards, including two at the Biennale Noroeste and a grant from the Culture and Arts Commission of Sinaloa for the 2006-2007 edition of her project, the Reality of Realities.

In her performance piece Pietatem, Elina Chauvet appears as an iconic traditional grandmother, dressed in sorrowful black, seated before the Vatican.

Different versions of the same woman, who plays roles that mirror herself, us, and our world. These reflections illuminate the worst of the daily horrors and fights of our lives. Because she consistently engages in battles for women — like against domestic violence — Chauvet has been elevated to the status of grande dame in the part of the art world that cares about social justice.

But the giant mirror of her Red Shoes installation is most telling of the strength of her vision that ties artistic and social justice movements. Only such an icon could pull this off in so many times and places.

In an interview with Latinness, she says:

The project has already been replicated in 27 countries. This year marks 15 years since I started the installation in 2009. My aim is for people to see what I’m seeing occur: that women have taken to the streets to demand and make changes in their lives. Nowadays, I hear young women, and there is no longer submission to abuse. There’s no acceptance, and there’s also a growing awareness among men. They are starting to realize what’s happening, from the subtlest forms of abuse, which become daily occurrences and customs.

With Red Shoes, I want to address all the forms of violence that we endure, and that’s why the artwork exists.

Elina Chauvet’s work forces us to look at hard truths. Her work is not easy. It’s beautiful but not simple, kind of like us. See yourself in there?

I think all human beings deserve dignified lives, right? Without suffering. There are already too many problems in the world, too many things. Let’s get rid of this burden.

Translation: “You look prettier when you’re quiet.”  Hand-embroidered textiles: Heridas Domesticas (Domestic Wounds) (2023–) series.
Elina Chauvet, Zapatos Rojos (Red Shoes) (2009–) installation in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, 2024 Photo: Vanessa Olguín
Vicky Hamlin, a “red-diaper baby” and painter from an early age, has lived a life that’s combined art, her feminist and socialist politics, and work as a welder. Hamlin’s activism has helped force open the doors of the building trades to women. Through Oakland’s Tradeswomen, Inc. and as a union steward, she spent years challenging macho culture and mentoring younger tradeswomen. Her well-known paintings and photos of tradeswomen combine art and politics and encourage young women to claim equal status with men. Hamlin is currently serving as the cultural editor for the México Solidarity Project.