Check Out Alexah Acuña’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexah Acuña.

Hi Alexah, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in Chicago and attended USC Roski School of Fine Arts for undergrad. Originally, I wanted to study graphic design, but grew tired of creating behind a computer all day alone. I wanted to make stuff that felt more tactile and experiential, so I transitioned to sculpture and installation design. Naturally, being so close to Hollywood and USC’s renown film school, I discovered production design. I started designing graduate student thesis films and by the time I graduated was set on continuing the pursuit. After production designing for over 10 years, the industry was going through a lull with the strikes and I decided to write and direct a short film, “Thump” based on a surreal event that happened to me in high school. The process was very close to my heart and a cathartic life-changing experience in and of itself.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think the biggest struggles have been with finding my voice as an artist- not only standing up for myself and honestly communicating my thoughts and feelings, but also not overthinking things and falling into perfectionism. I feel like I held myself back in art school because I was so scared of doing things wrong or things not being good enough, and so I really couldn’t understand what it meant to just play and find this curiosity with my art. I still don’t really know what my work is about. I mean I know what inspires me or excites me, but I don’t always like creating a concrete, fixed idea or concept of what I’m going for. I try to let it emerge naturally and not over manipulate or control it, which can be frustrating some times because I’m so impatient.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m an artist, production designer, and filmmaker.

Artist- I really loved this sculptural piece I made a few years back called “14 Donald Trump Masks: My Brown Skin”. It was a tapestry of sorts in which I strung together pieces of 14 latex masks with red twine.

Production Design- I enjoy showcasing gritty, nostalgic, artificial, and surreal worlds. Most recently, I designed a video project for Cardi B’s new album.

Filmmaking- I like dark, mysterious, bizarre stuff, dark comedy and surreal Lynch-like worlds. I don’t really do hopeful or uplifting stories haha. My films are my way of processing my life experiences and the world around me, and often times it can be more of an uncanny dialogue with the universe.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I think for a while I thought maybe my persistence or hard work philosophy. But honestly, I’m discovering a new one that I think might be even more important. Being open minded and patient. Especially in this profession, it can be so easy to make assumptions about what project may lead to what or who can help you- but really just remembering that everyone is your teacher and every experience can teach you something. You just never really know what is going to lead to what. It’s important to stay humble and open and patient. Because sometimes you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it could be just around the corner.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sculpturesbyalexah.com/
• Instagram: @cinnamon_hands

Image Credits
Colin Crane (photographer for 1st image, graphic designer for 2nd image movie poster)
Madeline Leach (cinematographer for 3 still images from my film “Thump”)