Porque pinto a Dr. Katya Echazarreta? I paint her for many reasons and thought I’d share a little more as to why. One of the main reasons is because, con todo el respeto a Dr. Katya , es una mujer chingona. She is the first Mexican-born woman to go to space! Pero más importante is what she does with this incredible accomplishment. She inspires. She inspires kids of all ages, mujeres, people of all walks of life. She hella  inspires me to follow dreams, and I am. That’s why I paint her. 

As I paint Katya I think about my sister, Eréndira. Ella queria ser astronauta but the sad reality is she was laughed at for saying that. Nobody believed in her. Her little soul was crushed so she believed it. My sister is one of the most humble, giving, and realest mujeres out there, hard working and bien trucha, like my dad says. As I paint Katya’s monarca wings that took her to the moon, I think about and SEE all those little nińas y nińos so inspired and motivated to be the next engineer. The next Mexicano to go to space. Visibility matters. Katya’s story matters. My sister’s story matters and we all deserve the right to pursue our sueño . That’s why I paint Dr. Katya, to share a little about her story, and why her visibility and her work is so important to those future generations to come. I know my sister Ery could have made it to space, had she had a role model like you !