This satirical collection reimagines the traditional holiday postcard, transforming a symbol of joy and nostalgia into a biting commentary on a parent’s scars. Using hyper cutout collages and vibrant colours, From Mother To Son encapsulates the complex narratives of a diaspora shaped by conflict, resilience, and external interference.

Each postcard presents a fragment of history, framed in bold imagery that contrasts with the gravity of its subject matter:

1. El primer fuego
   The skylines of El Salvador erupt with volcanoes, caves, and caverns—natural sanctuaries where leftist guerillas and civilians sought refuge from American-funded death squads.

2. Chisme en la alcaldía
   This postcard captures the early whispers of far-right extremism, as rumours of war and terror begin to circulate. The stark colour divide marks the boundary between governmental power and the citizens it alienates.

3. El señor ha llegado
   A pivotal moment in the Civil War, Archbishop Oscar Romero’s assassination by Major Roberto D’Aubuisson is immortalized here. The piece reflects a fleeting moment of U.S. hesitation, before their continued support of the Salvadoran government.

4. Las consecuencias de hombre
   Set against the idyllic shores of El Salvador, this image juxtaposes beauty with tragedy. The bodies of slain civilians lie cold, a harrowing reminder of the earth’s bloodstained memory and the cost of forgetting.

5. Aquí no hay agua
   Inspired by Joan Didion’s reflections on El Salvador, this piece depicts a fountain encased in barbed wire and polluted water. It symbolizes a war-torn nation’s descent into poverty, with a capitalist system ensuring that suffering persists, even as resources remain tantalizingly out of reach.

Together, these postcards challenge us to confront the paradox of a place celebrated for its beauty while haunted by its violent past. They ask our parents to reckon with what they choose to remember and what they try to forget. And how those traumas will eventually be delivered to us, whether they like it or not.