Maria del Carmen

María del Carmen is a recycler in Bogotá. With her everyday strength and a wide smile that radiates warmth, she has raised her three children amid the hard work that, for generations, has sustained her family. As she pushes her cart through the city streets, she gathers not only recyclable materials, but also dignity, perseverance, and humanity.

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This oil on canvas portrait, painted with a technique that fuses expressive realism and pop art, highlights María del Carmen’s vital energy through a bold and vibrant palette. The background, charged with luminous nuances, engages in dialogue with her face, marked by history and character.

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The cap she wears, embroidered with the word Porvenir (meaning “future”), ironically alludes to the Colombian pension fund. In her case, as in that of many informal workers, that “future” is not guaranteed. It is a hidden message within the work: a subtle critique of structural inequalities and a tribute to those who build the country without access to the basic rights that should safeguard their years of labor.

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Each piece in this series seeks to make visible, dignify, and give voice to anonymous women who transform our cities day by day. A percentage of the sale will be given directly to María del Carmen, as a concrete recognition of her story.

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This artwork not only beautifies the space where it is displayed but also carries within it a living story that challenges and moves its viewers.