Existence is complicated. I like to think about time, the future, and memory, creating The Now and Present as a nebulous, nuanced, interwoven experience. Imaging my own Latinx ancestors’ lives through the lens of my own life, the Chihuahua – a dog originating from Chihuahua, Mexico – struck me as a thread connecting my life and personal love for the animal, heritage, and love. I could see generations of children warmed at night by a Chihuahua; families warned of danger by the large-eared, sensitive hearing of a Chihuahua; and now, the whole world able to be loved and protected by these special dogs. These works seek to honor and celebrate the often-stigmatized Chihuahua as a fiercely loving guardian, larger-than-life, omnipresent champion.