The masked woman, with her face covered and partially shaded, is mysterious. She looks directly at the viewer with determination. Her ethnicity is indeterminate, allowing the viewer to project their own identity onto the figure.
The use of the word "Mujer," Spanish for "woman," and the mask is a nod to the Zapatista movement in southern Mexico and the anti-globalization armed group that rebelled against the Mexican government, demanding indigenous rights and democracy. The eyes are reminiscent of Fairey's portrayal of Emma Peel, played by Diana Rigg, the heroine of the 1960s TV show The Avengers. The artwork is a celebration of femininity, depicting bold and assertive women as portrayed in 1960s spy films.
In 2005, Shepard and his wife Amanda became parents. As a father of two daughters and married to a strong-willed woman, Fairey has addressed sexism by creating images of powerful and provocative women. His portraits of women are a projection of his daughters, a reflection of his wife, and a critique of historical representations of women as naked, powerless, and submissive.
