Artwork for OAS: Guardians of Democracy

Guardians of Democracy is a work I created on commission for the Organization of American States (OAS) as part of the exhibition Ballot Boxes of the Americas: History and Symbols of Democracy, presented in Washington, D.C. on February 4, 2026. The project grew out of the OAS’s electoral observation work across the continent and was developed with full creative freedom. I am especially grateful to Gerardo de Icaza, Director of the Department for Electoral Cooperation and Observation at the OAS, for his trust and support throughout the process.

Through this work, I wanted to reflect on democracy as something living and fragile—something that cannot be assumed or taken for granted. Beyond the act of voting itself, the project highlights the daily care, vigilance, and collective commitment required to keep democracy open, active, and alive. Guardians of Democracy seeks to give visibility to that quiet, often unseen work, and to celebrate the importance of showing what works and honoring the people who sustain it.