María José Cristerna Méndez (born 1976), known professionally as The Vampire Woman or, as she prefers, The Jaguar Woman, is a Mexican lawyer, businesswoman, activist and tattoo artist. She is known for her extensive body modifications, which she embarked on as a form of activism against domestic violence. She is recognized by Guinness World Records as the most tattooed woman in the world, with 96% of her body covered, and is one of the most famous personalities in the world of tattoo art.
María José Cristerna | |
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.jpg) Cristerna in 2016 | |
| Born | María José Cristerna Méndez 1976 (age 47–48) Guadalajara, Mexico |
| Other names |
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| Alma mater | Catholic University of Mexico |
| Occupations |
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| Known for | Body modification |
| Children | 4 |
Biography
editMaría José Cristerna was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco in 1976, and grew up in a religious family.[1][2] At age 14, she got her first tattoo,[3] the logo of the Swedish metal band Bathory.[1]
She earned a degree in criminal law at the Catholic University of Mexico.[4] During her first marriage, she was a victim of domestic violence, leading her to decide to modify her body as a sign of strength, courage, and liberation.[5]
In addition to working as a lawyer, Cristerna is a businesswoman and has her own tattoo studio and a boutique where she sells her own clothing line called Mujeres vampiro (Vampire Women).[6][7]
Body modification
editCristerna is recognized as the most tattooed woman in the world.[8] 96% of her body is covered in tattoos, according to Guinness World Records.[1][9] The remaining 4% includes the palms of her hands which is a problematic area to tattoo.
Her body modifications also include a split tongue, subdermal implants, piercings, ear expansions, eye tattoos, scarification, and dental implants.[7][10][11]
She frequently attends international festivals and conventions on tattoos and body modification.[12] She has also been invited onto various television programs, such as Taboo on the National Geographic Channel,[7] and to events on body suspension.[6]
Ripley's Believe It or Not! has erected a wax statue of Cristerna in its museums.[13]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Martinez, Saul D. (March 3, 2015). "Abogada y vampiro, o la mujer mas tatuada" [Lawyer and Vampire, and the Most Tattooed Woman]. El Imparcial (in Spanish). Retrieved September 9, 2019.
- ^ "La mujer vampiro lleva su historia de vida en la piel" [The Vampire Woman Carries Her Life on Her Skin]. El Impulso (in Spanish). January 28, 2013. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
- ^ "El antes y después de 'la mujer vampiro'" [The Before and After of 'The Vampire Woman'] (in Spanish). Telecinco. Reuters. March 17, 2012. Archived from the original on March 6, 2013. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Cuesta, Irma (February 8, 2015). "La parada de los monstruos" [The Parade of the Monsters]. Hoy (in Spanish). Retrieved September 10, 2019.
- ^ Nissim, Mayer (April 5, 2011). "'Vampire woman' gets horns, fang implants". Digital Spy. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
- ^ a b Acosta, Alejandro (March 9, 2012). "The woman behind the vampire". Reuters Photographers' Blog. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
- ^ a b c "'La mujer vampiro', mucho más que un mito" ['The Vampire Woman', Much More Than a Myth]. El Universal (in Spanish). June 5, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
- ^ Allouche, Sylvie (May 22, 2015). "From 'Enhancement Medicine' to 'Anthropotechnology'". In Meacham, Darian (ed.). Medicine and Society, New Perspectives in Continental Philosophy. Springer. p. 304. ISBN 9789401798709. Retrieved September 9, 2019 – via Google Books.
- ^ Glenday, Craig, ed. (March 10, 2015). "Humans". Guinness World Records 2015. Bantam Trade. p. 154. ISBN 9781101883808. Retrieved September 9, 2019 – via Google Books.
- ^ Moncada, Yulliam (October 4, 2014). "'Soy una guerrera que sobrevivió a la violencia doméstica'" [I am a Warrior Who Survived Domestic Violence]. Los Andes (in Spanish). Archived from the original on November 25, 2015. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
- ^ "'The Vampire Woman' Is The 'Most Modified' Female In The World On 'Taboo'". HuffPost. September 24, 2012. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
- ^ "La 'mujer vampiro' dice sentirse la más hermosa del mundo" [The 'Vampire Woman' Says She Feels Like the Most Beautiful in the World] (in Spanish). Terra. July 16, 2015. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
- ^ Pruett, Frank (May 8, 2013). "When Zombie Boy Meets Vampire Lady". Austria: CNN. Archived from the original on November 25, 2015. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
External links
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