The Mother in my designs: Mary without a face

The Mother in my designs: Mary without a face

Many people ask me why the Blessed Mother appears in many of my designs, and especially why I often depict her without a face . The answer stems from something very deep in my life of faith and my experience within the Schoenstatt Movement.

For me, the Mater, our Mother, Mary, She is much more than an image or a devotion. She is presence, companionship, a silent guide on life's journey. Over the years, I have learned to see her not only as someone we turn to, but also as a role model , a woman who shows us how to love, serve, and trust.

In Schoenstatt there is a well-known phrase that has always touched my heart:
“Maria, may whoever looks at you, see me.”

This phrase expresses a deep desire: that our lives reflect Mary so much that people can recognize something of her in us. That her way of loving, her humility, her openness to God, and her tenderness become visible in our daily actions.

That's why many of my Maters appear faceless . It's not an absence. It's an invitation.

It's an invitation to see that face as yours, mine, or any of ours . It's a way of remembering that we are all called to be little Marys in the world: people who bring comfort, hope, and love to others.

Each Mater I create is also a silent prayer. It's my way of expressing gratitude to the Virgin Mary for accompanying my life and my family's, and at the same time a way of sharing with others that presence that so often feels close.

Perhaps that's why my designs feature many different Mater images: some simpler, some more symbolic, some more modern, with flowers, in light blue or aqua tones, etc. But they all stem from the same desire: to remember that Mary continues to act in the world through each one of us.

And perhaps, when someone sees a faceless Mother, they may feel that small inner calling: “That face It could be mine too.”