Trigger Warning: Mention of rape and sexual assault, not graphic or in detail.

Symbolically connecting a growing plant with the life of a human being, interests me. The plant becomes an allegorical object that conjures memories, emotions and a platform for multiple discussions. I reached out to Camila Gongora to see if she wanted to collaborate with me on a planting project. Camila is a visual artist who received her education from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, in Bogota, Colombia, where her focus was in graphic arts. She has a keen interest in plant neurobiology and its connection to human beings. I also wanted to hear her thoughts on the recent rape of a young girl by several soldiers in the countryside of Colombia. After a day, the girl was found alive and told her story, Our conversation evolved to another discussion of a woman in Bogota who had been attacked in a park in 2012 , who also lived long enough to tell her story and identify her attacker, have him captured and then died in the hospital. We spoke about the bravery and strength of these women. I shared with her my spiritual connection I have with an aunt who passed away 4 years ago. What inspired us of these women was the power they held, regardless of their different ages, different times and different circumstances. We wanted to commemorate their strength in a plant.

My aunt taught me that magical dust existed. She taught me that people held their magical power in their souls. That great food came from heaven, that music was the secret language of those with another sense, that there existed good and evil on earth and that you should never ever be someone you aren't. She taught me to fight for my freedom and to not be afraid to stand alone in the face of opposition. She taught me that money was transient and that real wealth exited internally. My aunt spoke with her animals and they completely understood each other. My last meeting with her, she took me to a place where I could inhale “the purest air on earth”, she was right. This project was created in her honor and each time I see this plant, my aunt teaches me something new.

This is a video of Camila planting in Bogota, Colombia. It brought her closer to me. Missing her of course, and our discussions. We planted on different soils, different continents but the same planet, united for the same purpose, to celebrate the power these women held.

This collaboration lasted for two days. We face timed and planned the sequences of our project. We wanted to highlight the love and struggle that these women had for life.

I am grateful for this collaboration with my dear cousin Camila Gongora.