Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Sanchez.
Christina, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My dad passed away in 2004 and he was my best friend. I learned about Dia de Los Muertos and that you die 3 deaths: one when you stop breathing, one when you are buried under the ground, and the final death is when the last person on Earth forgets about you. That really resonated with me and was a tradition I wanted to be a part of.
So, every year for the past 15 years I have dressed as a Catrina and attended the celebration at the Hollywood Forever cemetery in Los Angeles to honor my father. As the years have gone by my outfits and makeup have become more professional thanks to my friends Livier and Ruben Lopez at the H&MUA Academy and my image has become something that people really connect with. I have been very lucky to receive many emails from people that have found strength in my image as they persevere through their own health struggles and face their own mortality. It is really beautiful to me that my passion for this sacred tradition has helped people in ways big and small. For that, I feel extremely grateful.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
When I first was trying to dress as a Catrina to celebrate my dad I really didn’t have any idea what I was doing. Dia de Los Muertos wasn’t very popular in America like it is now, it hadn’t been commercialized and there was no “COCO” for the masses. I usually would find Halloween type costumes and the best makeup artists I could in order to try to execute my vision. However, as the years went on, I started feeling incredibly inspired and having visions of exactly what I wanted to look like and I was lucky enough to find amazing designers like Loretta Vampz, Ricardo Soltero and Moriah Byers, that helped me make my ideas a reality.
Please tell us more about your work.
I have been fortunate to have people like what I do and now they compensate me for my time when I appear at their events. Day of the Dead is not something that I want to profit off of, but I am learning to accept compensation for my time and people using my image for their financial gain.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I think it is always lucky when people love what you do and I think that happens when you are your authentic self. I didn’t ever start dressing the way that I do for anyone else. It isn’t about contests or self-promotion or going “viral”. It was for me and my dad and that’s what matters to me. It is so special to me that people can feel that and know my heart and it means something to them. I am really lucky that people have reached out to me to collaborate with them, such as Cerveceria Mundial and I get to be the face of their Flor de Muerto beer. It is amazing to work with other creative people.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 9093581309
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: CatrinaChristina
- Facebook: @CatrinaChristinaOfficial
Image Credit:
Alexander Seyum/@carnival_pictures
Robert Swapp Photography/@robertswappphotography
Christina Sanchez/@CatrinaChristina
Rudy Naval/@rudynaval
Jorge Mansilla/jm_artphotography
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