Jaclyn Alderete’s current work is strongly influenced not only by the Hispanic and Native American cultures omnipresent during her childhood in New Mexico, but also by her predominantly matriarchal family. Most of Jaclyn’s paintings challenge traditional gender roles while touching on the characterization of women and the enigmatic history of her culture. Being surrounded by Catholic influence throughout her youth, Jaclyn attempted to understand its attitude toward women as well as homosexuals, and how these attitudes affect families. As a result, some of her work includes interpretive imagery of Catholic saints or saintly icons. Jaclyn addresses the long-standing propensity of violence against women, a theme which appears in other works such as “Nisha”. Through her art Jaclyn hopes to ignite in herself and others a deeper sense of self, culture, and our place in this world.