MIEKE DOUGLAS
Santa Muerte – The Rise of the Cult of Holy Death

Each 1 November, thousands gather in Tepito, one of the most dangerous areas of Mexico City, to honor Santa Muerte, praying the Rosary and bringing offerings for protection, healing, or gratitude. Devotees crawl toward the shrine carrying statues of the Niña Blanca in acts of faith and penance. Depicted as a female skeleton holding a globe and scythe, Santa Muerte represents both death and protection. Though often described as a ‘patron saint of criminals,’ Santa Muerte’s association with illicit worlds is more complex: followers see her as a nonjudgmental, inclusive figure who welcomes the poor, the sick, ex-prisoners, migrants, LGBTQ+ people, workers in the informal economy, and others living at society’s margins.
For many, she offers hope, belonging, and change. Blending pre-Columbian traditions with Catholic symbolism, her once-marginal devotion condemned by the Catholic Church has grown rapidly since the 2000s, now counting millions across Mexico, Central America, and the US.

Author
Mieke is a Dutch and Canadian Fine Art Photographer, living in London.

Her practice challenges our ambivalence to the natural world, by playing with distance and scale. She strips down the unnecessary and focuses on simple lines and moments of movement and stillness. Her work moves between fact and fiction and challenges the boundaries of photography and art.

She has recently won several major awards including: Chromatic , Minimalist, Julia Margaret Cameron and British Photography Awards. Mieke is also Shortlisted for the Alpha Female Award at the Sony World Photography Awards and for the Association of Photographers Emerging Talent Awards 2020.

Her work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. She has just had her first Solo Show, ‘STILL”.

Website
www.miekedouglas.com

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