Ana Stapleton
acrylic on canvas, 2026
30 × 24 in, unframed

I was presented to society just shy of 15, at a Mexican country club my parents belonged to. The purpose of this longstanding social tradition is to match young girls with potential husbands from the ‘right’ families. Most of the debutantes from my year were married by 18. I went rogue and stayed single until 30, which absolutely made me a carton of expired milk in the eyes of that society. This painting honors my 14 year old self and the wise decision I made to wait a couple of decades for my match.

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