Articles of Constriction

The words that are levied against us are the foundational means through which our oppression is built and how our oppressors seek power. Words that begin as simple ideas, then they find action, and finally, they find us. The Words That Bind Us is a painting exhibition by Clarissa Martinez at Cactus Valley Art in Harlingen, Texas. The exhibition focuses on the juxtaposing realities of young women against the strangulating, patriarchal expectations of the Catholic religion and Latino culture. The show puts into perspective the lives of women stifled beneath the pressure to diminish themselves to servitude to a hypothetical man and his hypothetical children from childhood into adulthood. 

Clarissa Martinez is a multidisciplinary artist from Brownsville, TX, and known primarily for her illustrative work, commercially, and her work in mural design. Martinez holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art from the University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) and a Master’s of Fine Arts in Illustration Practice from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). She states on her website that her personal work, ”explore[s] personal issues, self-healing, and the relationship between women and religion within Latinx communities,” which is the focal point of her recent solo show. Martinez is currently a Lecturer at UTRGV in Brownsville.

The theme that courses through the show is that of autonomy in Catholic, Latino communities, and how these two intersecting communities create an axis of oppression for young girls and women. Martinez depicts portraits of young women and girls with a glaring cadmium red text overlaying their likeness. She notes in her artist statement that these pieces are “ruined” by the bright, runny paint and the words over what would have been portraits of celebration or ceremony. The use of cadmium red is bold and commanding; it diverts your attention away from the figure and to the formidable, imposing questions and remarks.

 The back-handed aggression of these words is confrontational in these pieces, in what have otherwise become subconscious, passive comments embedded in Catholic, Latino culture.

Throughout the show, it is notable that none of the pieces depict a woman’s face without it being obstructed or omitted from the piece, which furthers the idea of loss of identity and autonomy. Another common motif that is carried throughout the show is that of the rosaries as binding and constriction; the visual weight they create ties into the idea of submission and religious suppression. These visual markers provide a clear foundation on which Martinez has built this show. 

Two pieces parallel each other and create a small narrative moment within the show. "Hostage” and “Free” are paintings depicting a young woman in a white corset-back dress. “Hostage” depicts constriction through the tightened lace of the corset-back dress and the compiled rosaries binding the figure’s hands behind her back. The colors in this piece are dull and subdued, which adds to the restrictive atmosphere in the work. On the opposite side of the room, “Free” acts as a direct parallel depicting the same figure freed of her bondage. She is undoing the lacing of her dress, and the rosaries are but an impression left on the skin. The colors used are vibrant and expressive, utilizing bright, warm tints. She is liberated. While I appreciated this minute narrative moment, it feels lost within the show and its curation, which impacts how this moment is interpreted. With these pieces amongst the portraits and their damning statements, is the artist setting a scene of false freedom? That, despite the girl’s liberation, it will always be short-lived as the hetero-partiarchal oppression depicted surrounds her and acts as another form of confinement? Or was Martinez intending to demonstrate that, even amongst encroaching and restrictive cultures and beliefs, there is still hope for a small moment of freedom? A more intentional approach to curation could have driven home this narrative moment as well as connected the entire show.

The piece that captured my attention was “Herd the Breeders,” which depicts three veiled women with their heads bowed as they are led away bound by their hands and waists to each other with a rosary painted in bright Mexican pink against the use of a range of values in black ink as the primary medium of the piece. I found myself stunned and aghast at the title, whereas the rest of the show and their respective titles did not manage to evoke the same reaction. Those questions were familiar, but the term “breeders” carried loaded connotations from historical to fringe extremist internet ideologies that I had rarely heard in real-world applications. Martinez succeeds with the reactionary nature of the title, as I had the strongest reaction to this piece for the rest of the night. The use of the mantilla, which is a religious article that is associated with humility, servitude, and the religious sanctification of the capability of childbearing, to obscure the face demonstrates the loss of autonomy to religion. The loss of identity in this piece, amongst the portraits, is harrowing. I feel close to identifying who the people in this piece are, but I can’t quite place them, which adds another layer to the piece. I feel a connection to these bodies and the suffering they endure, being tied to a dreadful fate that religion and culture seek to subject women to. The Mexican Pink rosary serves as a tool for subjection. However, I feel that this detail was underdeveloped in contrast to the whole piece. The rosary appears flat and lacking in detail in contrast with the delicate lace detailing in the veils, which causes the rosary to stand out not for its bright color but for its plainness. With more refinement, it could settle into the piece, and we could get the full impact of this work. This piece carries the weight of the show, in my opinion. The questions levied against women and the religious rituals used as forms of submission are deeply ingrained in our cultural psychology; it is practically expected. This piece carries the weight of a deeply held hatred towards women and the derogatory way that they are treated. I feel that this piece was the highlight of the show and captured the artist’s intent wholly. 

I appreciate Martinez’s intentions overall to address such a dense and heavy reality for women in the Catholic faith and Latino culture. However, I felt as though there were several finalizing details in the works that required more polishing in order to fully fit into the piece, as it appears that time constraints may have contributed to this in relation to an otherwise developed piece. I would have liked to see the perspectives of older women, divorced women, and single mothers included in this show, as they are often ostracized and criticized by religion and culture, even when they do fulfill certain expectations, such as marriage and bearing children. This could have shown the hypocrisy of the church and culture. This series of works can be ongoing and continues with how heavy the topic is that is being engaged with. Martinez scratches the surface of what is a heavy topic that is prevalent in the culture of the Rio Grande Valley and opens the conversation for many people to have their own experiences discussed and represented. I look forward to seeing how Martinez will expand on this series and any future endeavors. 

The Words That Bind Us opened on August 29, 2025, and was on display until September 21, 2025.