Today we’d like to introduce you to Maya Caulfield.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My path to becoming a working artist is unorthodox, I originally went to film school to study Production Design, and switched careers after realizing my passions lay elsewhere. Since 2016, I’ve been working primarily as a painter and textile artist, creating work that reflects my unique mixed heritage and complicated cultural and gender identity. I’ve had the fortune to live all across America, and constantly moving and traveling has allowed me to absorb a wide variety of artistic influences.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s been anything but a smooth road, and I don’t expect it will be any easier in the future. I’ve worked multiple service jobs at a time to support myself and be able to purchase art materials, I’ve faced adversity and hardships in my personal life that forced me to put my career aspirations and education on hold, and I’ve also struggled with self-doubt. At the end of the day, being a creative is the only thing I find fulfilling and I can’t imagine giving up on it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m an artist that works in many mediums, but I primarily focus on painting and textile art. The piece of mine that is most well-known is a kimono I hand-sewed when I was eighteen. It is made entirely from men’s plaid shirts and boxer shorts, representing my mixed heritage of being half-Scottish and half-Japanese. It was briefly viral online and hung in The Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience in Seattle for three years as part of their “Where Beauty Lies” exhibition. What makes me different is that my lived experiences as a mixed race, trans artist are unique in themselves, and I try to be as honest to myself as possible when creating work that reflects that experience.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory is making my Halloween costumes by hand every year with my dad. He taught me how to sew and think outside the box, and that was always a tender time for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://mayacaulfield.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honey.lemonade/
