Painting this self-portrait came with ease. I have studied my body for decades; the way I hold tension, where muscles bulge and bones protrude. I can be brutally frank with my own pose and expression, distorting beauty and perspective to reflect the intensity of my inner world. During this period I painted specific women in the studio. While they posed and I drew, we discussed the topic of women's autonomy over their bodies, in particular the threat over reproductive rights. By the time I painted 'Autorretrato' I had explored these thoughts and animalistic postures to such a depth, that I completed the painting in a single day.