In Mexico, jerga refers to a rustic textile associated with domestic cleaning. It is used to scrub floors or placed at entrances to wipe feet before coming inside.

At the same time, jerga also refers to a specific type of language, characteristic of certain contexts. This dual meaning allows me to think of the material as a metaphor for domestic labor and the place women have historically occupied within the home.

I work with jerga through its deconstruction: I unthread it, fragment it, and reweave it to construct a new narrative. In this process, the textile ceases to be a utilitarian object and transforms into garments and sculptures that seek to re-signify and empower the feminine. In Las reinas, I use broom handles carved with figures of women at different stages of life. The re-woven jergas become dresses that evoke life cycles. In My Duty, a short video shows a frayed jerga shaped like an open chest; for a moment, it falls to the ground, exposing fragile ribs. In another piece, a dress woven from deconstructed jerga retains only its form: it is an absent body, impossible to inhabit.

Jerga, as both textile and language, is flexible: it comes apart, recomposes itself, and restructures. In that transition, it acquires new meanings and opens a space to rethink women’s labor, the body, and identity.