Conversations with Ree Artemisa

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ree Artemisa.

Ree, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve loved to draw since I can remember and some of the first things I remember drawing were pictures of my family and my grandparents in their backyard in East LA. It was full of flowers, fruit trees, bugs, birthday parties and LIFE. It made a huge impression on me and a part of me is always drawing a part of that garden.

My art practice ebbs and flows into paintings, murals, textiles and comics but the themes remain the same. I tend to be most inspired by Chicano culture (particularly in Los Angeles where I grew up) as well as themes of queerness, blue collar life, nature, indigenous history and cultural reconnection.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has taken a lot of patience and healing on my part to gracefully handle the racism, misogyny and classism that still exists in a lot of art and indie comics spaces. It can be isolating and it can be hard to not take it home with you.

However, I have never let this deter me from being passionate, joyful and driven about what I make. It has made me want to be a kinder person and gas up other artists to offset some of the hardships I’ve experienced.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I often describe myself as someone who “paints spells”. First and foremost, I am probably best known for making gouache and walnut ink paintings on reclaimed wood. Every painting I make is like a mini altar, they’re all infused with deeply felt and powerful intentions. They’re stained with walnut inks, local flowers, tea and ash. They’re meant to be loved and to give love or protection to a home or person.

The second thing I would say I’m best known for is making indie comics and art zines, which was initially influenced by early 00s riot grrrl culture, but quickly became their own thing and I found my own voice.

I’m proud to say I’ve stuck to my grubby little blue collar punk roots and have never lacked for love or passion in making art. Ever. I see a lot of beauty in the world and I feel really lucky in that regard. I feel very fortunate that people recognize my passion and that we can build community together.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Honestly, I have a faulty alarm clock and an old friend to thank for breaking into art!

When I was younger, I was working blue collar, physically demanding jobs, similar to many of my own family members. In this particular scenario I was juggling 2 jobs: unloading retail trucks and working in a hole in the wall bakery. I really didn’t know what I wanted to do with myself or my life and was drifting. One day I set my pink alarm clock to take my usual metro link train and bus to work and that alarm clock happened to die that day. I missed my alarm and punch in time. I ended up running to the train depot, in big trouble with my boss and had to wait for a later train to keep my job at a bakery.

While I paced on the train platform, a woman (who later became a good friend) recognized me from a party and we got to talking and sat next to each other on the train. She saw the drawings and paintings I had in my bag that I worked on between my breaks. She said she had friends who worked with galleries and in the art world who would want to see my stuff. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but she showed them my work and they liked it. From then on, my life and opportunities shifted towards the arts. I have been doing paintings, gallery work and publishing comics ever since.

Its all meant so much to me as someone who is self taught with a high school diploma. A door and a universe opened up.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: ree.artemisa

Image Credits
All images are by me with the exception of the two mural photos, those are used with permission and courtesy of META

(I was commissioned to paint a mural for their Bellevue, WA offices in 2022)