María José Cristerna

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
Cristerna in 2016
Born
María José Cristerna Méndez

1976 (age 44–45)
Guadalajara, Mexico
Other names
  • The Vampire Woman
  • The Jaguar Woman
Alma materCatholic University of Mexico
Occupation
  • Lawyer
  • businesswoman
  • tattoo artist
  • activist
Known forBody modification

Biography

María 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

Cristerna 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

References
  1. 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.
  2. "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.
  3. "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.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. Cuesta, Irma (February 8, 2015). "La parada de los monstruos" [The Parade of the Monsters]. Hoy (in Spanish). Retrieved September 10, 2019.
  5. Nissim, Mayer (April 5, 2011). "'Vampire woman' gets horns, fang implants". Digital Spy. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  6. Acosta, Alejandro (March 9, 2012). "The woman behind the vampire". Reuters Photographers' Blog. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  7. "'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.
  8. 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.
  9. Glenday, Craig, ed. (March 10, 2015). "Humans". Guinness World Records 2015. Bantam Trade. p. 154. ISBN 9781101883808. Retrieved September 9, 2019 – via Google Books.
  10. 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.
  11. "'The Vampire Woman' Is The 'Most Modified' Female In The World On 'Taboo'". HuffPost. September 24, 2012. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  12. "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.
  13. 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.
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