Being a mother is not a profession. It's not even a duty. It is simply one right among many," Oriana Fallaci reminded us. The young woman featured on our cover is Luisa Rodriguez Jiménez, known in Mexico as a political activist fighting for women's rights. The artist Alejandra Varela Perera (Mexico City, 1995) chose to portray the pregnant activist to capture her courage and determination, as if they were a reflection of the vital force that animates the painter herself. And here on our cover is that aura every woman emits when she is creating new life. Alejandra Varela Perera is an artist with a strong ethical tension at the boundary between painting and sculpture: in her latest works, she favors portraiture with paintings that evoke contemporary figuration yet are always imbued with ancient symbolism. Through her portraits, Alejandra Varela Perera tells stories of beloved individuals: from September 12, at the Patricia Armocida Gallery in Milan, her solo exhibition will be on display. Her paintings, powerful and full of enigmatic figures, prompt us to ask questions about ourselves: questions about the present and the challenges of living. But always with a steady gaze towards the hope of happiness. Gianluigi Colin, Art Director at Corriere della Sera