The Weeping Woman

“The sound of her sorrow reverberates,
shaping the space around her and within me”

―Beatriz Perez

La Llorona (The Weeping Woman) is a prominent figure in Venezuelan folklore and one of the most enduring legends of Latin American culture. Often portrayed as a tragic woman condemned to wander in sorrow, her cry echoes as a warning, an omen of misfortune, and a symbol of grief. In this photographic series, I explore the parallels between La Llorona - the weeping woman - and Venezuela as a weeping motherland.

The worn face of the woman portrayed reflects the anguish experienced by mothers struggling to feed their families, as well as the profound grief of those whose children were killed during waves of protests in Venezuela since 2014. With media increasingly controlled and public voices constrained, mobile phones emerge as fragile instruments of testimony, carrying images, voices, and appeals beyond national borders.

Through staged portraiture and symbolic gestures, The Weeping Woman reflects on grief, endurance, and the silent resilience of those who continue to witness and remember.

Woman preparing arepas in a domestic kitchen interior from The Weeping Woman series by Beatriz Perez.
Distressed woman holding a folded Venezuelan flag in a portrait from The Weeping Woman series by Beatriz Perez.
Portrait of a woman speaking on a mobile phone from The Weeping Woman series by Beatriz Perez.
Woman holding a white T-shirt stained with blood in a symbolic portrait from The Weeping Woman series by Beatriz Perez.
Woman holding a blood-stained white T-shirt close to her chest in a portrait from The Weeping Woman series by Beatriz Perez.
Portrait of a woman with tears in her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest from The Weeping Woman series by Beatriz Perez.
Black-and-white portrait of a woman speaking on a mobile phone from The Weeping Woman series by Beatriz Perez.
Close-up portrait of a woman with a tear on her face from The Weeping Woman series by Beatriz Perez.
Dimly lit portrait of a woman speaking on a mobile phone from The Weeping Woman series by Beatriz Perez.

Credits

Photography & Art Direction: Beatriz Perez

Styling: Beatriz Perez & Sonia Guzzo

Model: Sonia Guzzo

Make-up Artist: Cristina Nogales 

Photographer Assistants: Shaira Khan & Andres Montero

Selected Reviews

“The exhibition "In a country far, far away" tells of the sagas, myths and legends of many countries. This exhibition shows us life in all its beautiful and depressing facets. Dreams, desires and fears would determine people's lives then as now.”

— Helke Nolte-Ernsting, Bad Oeynhausen Deputy Mayor

“The exhibition only apparently takes us off into a distant world. It confronts us with the big questions in life, bringing ancient stories back to life.”

— Dr Hanna Dose, Director of the Municipal Museums

Exhibitions

This project was exhibited in In a Country Far, Far Away, a group exhibition at The Art Pavilion, London, 2018, curated by Katja Rosenberg, Art Catcher Ltd., and supported by Tower Hamlets Council.

The Exhibition travelled to the Deutsches Märchen- und Wesersagenmuseum, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany, 2018, organised by Katja Rosenberg and curated by Dr Hanna Dose, Museum Director, with support from Deputy Mayor Helke Nolte-Ernsting.

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In a Country Far, Far Away exhibition poster, The Art Pavilion, London, featuring The Weeping Woman series by Beatriz Perez
The Art Pavilion exterior, London, during winter, venue for In a Country Far, Far Away exhibition curated by Katja Rosenberg from Art Catcher.
The Weeping Woman photographic work displayed in In a Country Far, Far Away exhibition at the Art Pavilion in London
Installation view of The Weeping Woman series in In a Country Far, Far Away exhibition, The Art Pavilion, London
Beatriz Perez with The Weeping Woman series at In a Country Far, Far Away exhibition, The Art Pavilion, London
In Einem Fernen, Fernen Land exhibition poster, Deutsches Märchen- und Wesersagenmuseum, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany, featuring The Weeping Woman series
Museum Deutsches Märchen- und Wesersagenmuseum exterior, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany, venue for In Einem Fernen, Fernen Land exhibition
Opening reception at In Einem Fernen, Fernen Land exhibition, featuring welcome speeches by curator Katja Rosenberg and museum director Dr Hanna Dose, Deutsches Märchen- und Wesersagenmuseum, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
Curator Katja Rosenberg and Bad Oeynhausen Deputy Major Helke Nolte-Ernsting, during the opening reception of In Einem Fernen, Fernen Land exhibition at the Deutsches Märchen- und Wesersagenmuseum, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
Portrait of Deputy Major Helke Nolte-Ernsting and museum director Dr Hanna Dose at In Einem Fernen, Fernen Land exhibition opening, Deutsches Märchen- und Wesersagenmuseum, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
Introductory exhibition panel for In Einem Fernen, Fernen Land , Deutsches Märchen- und Wesersagenmuseum, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany.
Installation view of The Weeping Woman series in the In Einem Fernen, Fernen Land exhibition, at the Deutsches Märchen- und Wesersagenmuseum, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany.
Artist talk by Beatriz Perez with curator Katja Rosenberg during In Einem Fernen, Fernen Land exhibition, Germany.
Beatriz Perez with The Weeping Woman series in In Einem Fernen, Fernen Land exhibition setting, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany.
The Weeping Woman photographic work installed in the museum space, In Einem Fernen, Fernen Land exhibition, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany.
Press conference for In Einem Fernen, Fernen Land exhibition, featuring The Weeping Woman series, Deutsches Märchen- und Wesersagenmuseum, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
Press group photograph for In Einem Fernen, Fernen Land exhibiting artists, Deutsches Märchen- und Wesersagenmuseum, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany.
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