Without the soldaderas, there is no Mexican Revolution. They kept it alive and fertile, like the earth. ---Elena Poniatowska Drawing on Mexico’s rich history and culture, artist Merry Calderoni approaches ancient themes with the unique vision of a contemporary artist. In her 2010 collection, Las Soldaderas—Bullets to the Heart, Calderoni turns to the Revolution of 1910 as a creative cornerstone. Through her extensive study of this turbulent era, Calderoni was particularly drawn to the fascinating and largely unknown history of the Soldaderas or Adelitas. For the artist, these female revolutionaries were more than just an interesting tale; their contribution was fundamental to the revolutionary cause, and their lives were an illustration of honor, bravery, and faithfulness. Driven by their loyalty to their loves, their brothers, their husbands, and the revolutionary principles, each of the soldaderas survived an inner conflict—her own interior “revolution”—when joining the soldiers at arms.

Through her extensive study of this turbulent era, Calderoni was particularly drawn to the fascinating and largely unknown history of the Soldaderas or Adelitas. For the artist, these female revolutionaries were more than just an interesting tale; their contribution was fundamental to the revolutionary cause, and their lives were an illustration of honor, bravery, and faithfulness. Driven by their loyalty to their loves, their brothers, their husbands, and the revolutionary principles, each of the soldaderas survived an inner conflict—her own interior “revolution”—when joining the soldiers at arms. Women have been involved in war and revolutions for centuries, yet their role is often obscured. In this collection, Calderoni breathes life into these forgotten heroines through a series of large format paintings. The work is largely abstract; however, Calderoni also incorporates images of the soldaderas with the bold stroke of her brush, complimenting them with text and revolutionary slogans. Drawing inspiration from antique black-and-white photographs, Calderoni’s palette of deep gray and sepia tones herald a lost era. She burned gunpowder into several of the canvases, creating a unique visual effect while also making poignant reference to the many soldaderas who became infertile by joining the revolutionaries in drinking tequila laced with gunpowder. In the year 2010, as Mexico celebrates the bicentennial of the nation and the hundredth anniversary of the Revolution, Calderoni has given today’s generation the opportunity to take a closer look at their grandmothers’ and great-grandmothers’ role in the nation’s history.

Painting has been a part of Merry Calderoni’s life since her childhood in Odessa, Texas, during her college years in Austin, and throughout her subsequent studies in Venezuela, Mexico, Italy, and France. In her current home of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, Calderoni is the “founding artist” at the Fábrica La Aurora Art and Design Center, where she maintains her studio. Her paintings have been included in prestigious private and public collections internationally.