Age you feel: 30

where did you grow up: Venezuela

Favorite ice cream flavor: Van Leeuwen vegan chocolate

Guilty movie pleasure: Casa De Mi Padre

HOW MUCH OF YOUR WORK, WOULD YOU SAY, IS INFLUENCED BY YOUR CULTURAL BACKGROUND?

Everything I’ve done has been influenced by my experiences and my origins. Growing up in Venezuela and then having to leave the country has made me a very resourceful person, comfortable with change. Growing up in a house full of women, to a family of mostly women, in a culture where we’re supposed to fill a specific roll (latino macho culture & the way women are supposed to look and behave) and constantly being in rejection to this roll, has shaped the way I see things, the way I do things.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START MAKING A BRAND OUT OF YOUR SCULPTURAL WORK?

I wouldn’t say I’m making a brand out of my sculptural work, neither the work comes out of the brand. My work as a whole is a blurred line between art & fashion and I’d say it’s definitely confusing. Since I work with textiles primarily it’s easy for me to turn a sculpture into a piece of clothing and vice versa. But I’ve now separated what’s for sale as clothing from the art -on my site and social media, and those more elaborate pieces would be made by commission.

CAN YOU EXPLORE THE MEANING BEHIND YOUR PIECE “BE A BODY”, AND THE CASTING OF SO MANY COLORFUL BODIES?

I had released a batch of hand dyed vintage lingerie sets which sold out very quickly. Since I was working with vintage deadstock pieces and I hadn’t really documented the pieces before selling them, I came up with this idea of photographing everyone who owned a set already, (which was mainly my community and it’s extension) as a way to say thank you and celebrate us. “Be a Body” was about self-love and self-expression in both the collective and the individual spectrum. Shana -the photographer- and I share similarities in the values we want to push in our work, the constant representation and exploration of the female body so it made sense to team up with her for this project.

HOW DID YOU LEARN TO MAKE THESE PIECES? IS THERE A LOT OF TRIAL AND ERROR IN YOUR CREATIONS AND IF SO HOW DOES IT PLAY IN YOUR CONNECTION TO THE WORK?

100% self-taught! Read book kids! And allow yourself to fail and try again until you’re pleased. We’re living some real crazy times, but all the info is there! There’s a very healthy way to use the internet and educate yourself, not only in crafts and practices, but literally anything you want to learn, you can achieve with discipline and patience.

AS A BROWN LATINX ARTIST, HAVE YOU FACED ANY CHALLENGES OR DIFFICULTIES IN PROMOTING YOUR WORK IN THE ART WORLD?

As a brown latinx artist I struggle to be seen beyond a brown latinx woman. I’m deeply connected to my culture but sometimes I find it frustrating that that’s the only narrative to be told, not only in the art world but as an individual. I feel my work is still in its premature stages so I’m happy to keep it mostly to myself, but it’s been really helpful andvalidating to see the attention and interest in others. It makes me more confident of what I’m doing, which I think it’s the biggest challenge for any artist, to be confident of their work.

IS THERE A PARTICULAR ART MOVEMENT OR ARTIST YOU FEEL HAS BEEN UNDERRATED?

I guess it depends on how we’re seeing this question. From the point of view of women and POC artists representation in museums and top galleries, I’d say we’re all underrated and overlooked. I’ve always liked the way Guerrilla Girls address this situation, sadly, you can find very little differences between the facts in their early work vs. nowadays. According to Artnet, in the past decade only 11 percent of all work acquired by the country’s top museums (counting 26 museums) was by women.

WHAT IS THE MOST SATISFYING PART ABOUT THE WORK YOU CREATE?

Doing it! I enjoy every part of the process. I’m into the physicality of it, the needs for patience, and figuring out what it is that I’m trying to say with it. I really value the opportunity to be a creator of things. And I really appreciate people valuing the work as well. It allows us to connect on different levels - whether its art to be hung on their walls or a piece of clothing - and that’s pretty special.

if you loved Cassandra just as much as us, check out her beautiful work.

CASSANDRA MAYELA