Hand printed, 2025
Ink on paper
70 cm x 50 cm
9 Originals
Three-color screen print (white, orange, and red) on black paper. Edition of 9 original pieces, hand-printed and signed.
HIDDEN TAX exposes the invisible yet devastating consequences of inflation. The central image is a photograph taken by a reporter in 2014 at La Vega Central in Santiago, Chile, one of the country’s most iconic and bustling open-air markets, known for its fruit, vegetable, and everyday product stalls. The scene depicts the typical price signs that were once a common sight. But today, those prices seem almost unreal, a reminder of how much the cost of basic goods has changed.
The artist intervenes in the image by irregularly adding zeros (organic shapes resembling stains that suggest uncontrolled, even pathological growth). These marks distort the original prices and hint that the situation could worsen further. The color red, traditionally used on these signs as a cheerful, eye-catching tone, takes on new meaning here. It becomes shocking, even violent—evoking blood. A visceral symbol of the economic pain caused by inflation.
Accompanying the image is a playful yet ironic text in which the artist offers her own definition of the word “inflation,” in a tone that is accessible yet critical. Finally, the top layer in bright orange acts as a call to action: OPT OUT. The piece moves from critique to possibility. It invites the viewer to consider an alternative to this “hidden tax”: Bitcoin.
Visually, the work is built through three layers of color (white, red, and orange), screen-printed on black paper. Through a careful play of textures and patterns, the artist lifts a figurative image from near abstraction, achieving a balance between aesthetic appeal and the rebellious message at its core.
