This work was cited for special commendation by the judge, art historian David Cohen, publisher and editor of Artcritical, who wrote,
" A compelling presence and a metaphysical intensity, a sense of the absent pet as a psychic guardian.”

Artist's Statement:
“My pet is Bigotes, a black and white cat. My girlfriend and I bought him 6 years ago when we lived together in my home country because we were unable to have children. He is a very tender and friendly cat so we made him a part of our life. He knew whenever we were sad, and he would come to caress us and play with us, thus cleansing all our negative energies. For the past two years, I’ve been living alone in New York, and I was so sad to leave Bigotes behind in Ecuador. Every night my girlfriend shows me my cat through a video camera, and he always knows it is me when he hears my voice. In this way my cat has lifted my spirits when I am fallen in these difficult times caused by the pandemic.”