Rosa Guadalupe Interview | Respect the Artist
I'm a first generation Mexican-American, raised in NYC. I graduated with an Art degree in 2017 from EPCC. My first Showcase in NYC was in December of 2018 and I have had the opportunity to showcase my work in many group shows, and have had 2 solo shows so far. My Art focuses in female empowerment through figurative art, that caters to the female gaze.
How did you get your Artist name?
It is my birth name, I wanted to honor my roots.
How did you get into creating?
I have been creating since the age of 12, I went to college with the aspiration of being an illustrator, after my first painting class I enjoyed that better. i loved being able to tell with a story with a single picture . I have been painting for over 15 years.
Where are you from?
I was born In Mexico City, but grew up some part in The Bronx and some part in the upper west side.
How did growing up in your neighborhood/city affect you?
Some of my core memories come from growing up in the Bronx, I grew up in a neighborhood where everyone knew my mom and her 4 children, so I was never afraid to be outside. I knew that I was safe. When I moved to the Upper West Side, I became more environmentally aware. These two places gave me the opportunity to explore different neighborhoods and to branch out with out fear.
What did you do to advance your skills/knowledge?
Going to college was the most rewarding experience it allowed me to expand my skill set in painting. Also YouTube, I learned my design skills from there, and practice.
What does your current setup look like?
My studio right now is my former dining room. The walls are painted in a deep green color because I wanted to be reminded of being in the forest: where I find the most peace at. The room has three windows that allow for beautiful dawn and dusk lighting. When you come into the space from the living room you will notice my computer set up on a small dining room table, with all the essentials: double screens, 3D printer, tripods, drawing tablets and my photo printer, on the other side I have storage for paper or things I've collected. I have my easel, next to my art table, which is where I create the most, followed by a bookshelf I've arranged to hold frames, framed art work and canvases of different sizes. Then we have the entrance to the kitchen beside the entrance is a small wood table over a heater that holds a cork board with my goals for the year and a vague list of goals for the next three months. Then my favorite display, like the ones at the store, I have all of my Art supplies there, I have 2 shelves with watercolor paints, pencils, brushes, pans. when you turn it, there's acrylics hanging from clips, rulers, sprays, painting mediums and another side that is all brushes to use for watercolor, acrylic and cleaning cloths. The space can be separated by curtains for privacy.
Who inspires you?
A person who consistently inspires me is definitely the creator of Sailor Moon: Naoko Takeuchi. She is the reason I started drawing and why I paint women. Naoko Takeuchi worked as a pharmacists, and when she created Sailor Moon, she expressed that she wanted friends like the sailor scouts. I love that her work is known worldwide and that her audience is people of all ages, that it has resisted to be encapsulated to a time frame and it is still inspirational to little girls all over the world, including my daughters.
What is your goal when you create?
My goal when I create is to uplift, and to empower women.
Why do you create?
I create because it brings me the most joy. Painting is a therapeutic outlet for me that allows me to put down emotions that sometimes I cannot communicate verbally.
How has choosing your creative path affected your life?
Choosing the creative path has made me happier. I remember going to an art show for another friend before I decided to sell my work, and crying when I got home because I wanted that for myself. I was painting, and was in school to finish my art degree, but there was a exhilarating feeling from seeing that someone was selling their work to the world. I wanted my art out in the world too.
Did you have to overcome any obstacles along the way?
My biggest obstacle I had to over come was my own insecurities. I decided to wait well into my 20's when I became a legal resident, to pursue my art career. I had the biggest fear of being invalidated because of my status or even worse: being deported. Being able to feel secure in my resident status definitely ignited me to move forward with my dreams as an artist. Another problem was not knowing if people will like my art, it took me 5 years to finally print my digital work and do my first Art crawl, people responded well. I sold many prints and finally sold my first watercolor in 2016 it was a painting of a mermaid. After that, I decided to put all my artist efforts in the NYC art scene, because if you can make it in New York you can make it anywhere.
What's your go-to song right now and why is it important to you?
I don't have a go-to song I have a Go-to Album: Un Verano Sin Ti, by Bad Bunny it puts me in a good mood, love the variety of music that circles around fun, or romantic nostalgia or about letting women be who they want to be.
What is your dream as an artist and what steps are you taking to reach your dream?
My dream as an artist is to be as known as Frida Kahlo, to be in the art history textbooks as someone that never gave up and whos art became a staple in women empowerment especially in a time of insecurities around women's rights. I am consistent with my message of my art theme of women empowerment, also I network, a lot.
What would you tell someone else with a dream?
DO NOT GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAM. That dream is your purpose.
Tell us about your most recent release
My most recent collection incorporates Shibari, while at first glance it is sensual. I made it with the thoughts of how as a woman I am presented with challenges of being proper and well liked according to my Mexican customs and Catholic up bringing, and not resisting the ties to that, accepting that it is part of my roots but cannot hold restraints on who I want to become. "Grace" was really the piece to bring out this narrative, a hand held by ties into a bouquet. The name is a representation of how women walk with grace despite the mental loads that we each carry. "Full Bloom" was made as a representation of surrendering, accepting that life brings hardships, and sometimes we need to settle, surrender, pause and think, it represents resilience. "Posh" brings it back to the expectation that a trophy wife is nothing but a prize to win and how that may feel on the woman. This came about after struggling to get support from my parents after deciding to separate from my partner of 15 years, suddenly I was asked to consider "how it would look to everyone else", "how that would impact me", and arguments about "how I could give up on my security of my well being" when the choice is rooted in the fight that not everything is as "Posh" at it seems on the outside. My most recent collection is a reflection of the journey of finding the power within.
Check it out here http://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRsxjmpW/
Instagram: http://instagra.co/rosaguadalupe_art?igshid=ZDdkNTZiNTM=
Photography credit: Bleu Pablo of Bleu Calf magazine
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