ATALANTE / QUIERO SER COMO TÚ , woodcut, Irving Herrera 2009

A rare alternate state of Herrera’s iconic masked figure, rendered here with celestial cool and floral opacity.

In QUIERO SER COMO TÚ, Irving Herrera revisits his now-iconic luchadora motif with subtle but powerful changes. The background shifts to a soft turquoise, the floral pattern becomes quieter, and the overall palette leans toward the lunar rather than the solar. What remains constant is the fierce presence of the central figure — nude, masked, and self-possessed — flanked by the inscribed phrase that gives the work its name.

Each gesture feels ritualistic: the way the hands frame the breasts, the mask with its starburst ornamentation, the way the lines of the carving follow muscle and bone like scars and topographies. Printed in Oaxaca, this alternate version expands the emotional and symbolic range of Herrera’s most personal and politically charged body of work.

Printed on thick cotton paper and signed/embossed by the artist, this version likely exists in the same extremely limited edition of 10.

Technical Sheet

• Object: Woodcut print (framed)
• Title: QUIERO SER COMO TÚ (blue variant)
• Artist: Irving Herrera
• Date: 2009
• Technique / Printing Method: Woodcut with screen-printed background
• Medium / Materials: Black and turquoise ink on cotton paper
• Edition: 5/10 
• Signed: Yes 
• Framing: no
• Dimensions: 112 × 76 cm (sheet)
• Condition: Excellent
• Provenance: Direct from artist’s studio, Oaxaca