Today we’d like to introduce you to Kiara Machado.
Kiara, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born in Lynwood, CA and lived in Los Angeles for a few years before moving to Glendora. Being Central American and living in a predominantly white city it was hard to find community and representation. Although it was difficult, it helped me to solidify and defend my identity.
Painting and drawing has always been a part of my life. I always knew I wanted to go into the arts but never knew exactly what area I wanted to delve into. I got more serious about art when I started community college in 2011. My work has since been fueled by the frustrations of society, and institutions as well as the empowerment of people of color, and specifically women of color.
My most recent work consists of oil and gouache paintings discussing the erasure and displacement experienced by Central Americans and marginalized folx. I started vending at local events in 2015, and since then, I have vended in cities such as La Verne, Long Beach, Los Angeles, and San Diego.
Always conscious that not everyone can afford an original painting, I’ve really focused on being able to make my art accessible. Over the years, my work has expanded into stickers, prints, and shirts. And most recently I have begun to paint murals.
Through my art, I want to create a discussion and platform for Central Americans and highlight there absence and misrepresentation under Mexican hegemony.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been incredibly difficult because people could not understand why it was so important for me to create art around the erasure experienced by Central Americans.
More often than not, even after identifying myself as being Guatemalan and Salvadoran, me and my art would get called Xicano/Xicanx art (Xicano is a term for Mexican- American). I have gotten ignorant comments from professors and peers dismissing my experiences.
Having been through all that I have been through, I make sure that everything in my painting has a meaning so that no one can question its existence. So, it becomes frustrating when my professors would want to take that away and want me to paint something because it was aesthetically pleasing.
Being an artist and a woman, people tend not to take me as seriously as other artists that are male. Most of the time when I go out vending, a consistently get asked if I really painted or did all my work. I have mainly gotten ignorant comments and my traumatic experiences dismissed.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I mainly paint oil and gouache pieces, and from my paintings I make prints. I also make stickers from simple designs that I create. I have recently learned how to screen print my own shirts that I sell, and I am also currently working on some murals in Lynwood.
I am most proud that I have grown so much over the years and that I am able to create art every day. I’m self-employed and set my own schedule and decide with whom I want to work or collaborate with.
What sets me apart is the subject matter of my pieces and how driven I am.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
One of my favorite memories from my childhood was when we had Christmas at my house one year, and a lot of our family and friends came over.
I was around eight or nine, and it was before any real responsibilities, and we all had a good time, dancing and waiting around until midnight to open gifts. It was nice to have all the family together and celebrating.
Pricing:
- Original Pieces vary anywhere from $100 to $4,000
- Prints go from $4-$15
- Stickers $2 -$3 and Shirts $10-$15
Contact Info:
- Website: kiaraaileen.weebly.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @kiara_aileen_arts
- Other: etsy.me/2KzAx0I
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
