Today’s Creative People interview features Milka Lolo, a Mexican artist living and working in Mexico City. Her work, inspired by Mesoamerican mythology, is nothing short of stunning. This past weekend her show Twilight Gods opened at Cactus Gallery in Los Angeles, CA. At the time of this writing, she has all but sold out – and when you see her paintings, you’ll appreciate why.
I asked her about the meaning behind her work, and the creative and societal challenges she faces.
I hope you enjoy!
I’m a full time artist; I don’t have any other job or income besides the sale of my paintings. For the last twelve years I’ve worked on my pieces from Monday to Friday and then sold them on the weekends at “el Jardin del Arte”, a well-known art fair that consists of over four hundred artists exhibiting their work in two different parks every weekend for the last sixty years.
For us as artists, as well as for many other sectors of the Mexican society, the pandemic represents not only a very serious heath problem, but also an equally worrying financial crisis.
The biggest challenge we face now is adapting to a new reality. Online art sales platforms that were once just another option are now a necessity for subsistence.
As an artist, the challenge is always to find balance between your own aesthetic proposal and economic stability, however self-improvement is the hardest battle to be fought every day, always try to be better than yesterday, to improve yourself.
Regarding her inspiration, she says:
Books have always been a great source of inspiration for me. Last year I focused my readings on the myths of creation of different Mesoamerican cultures and a general idea that stuck in my mind was: “The grain must die for the seed to be born”. The cycle of death and rebirth became the axis of my work. My exhibition TWILIGHT GODS is the result of this process of assimilation of different myths; it is my own version of the Mesoamerican genesis. The underlying message that I would like to share is that with every catastrophe that hits us, as mankind we also have the opportunity to build a better world, to destroy everything that was wrong and start over from scratch.”
– Milka Lolo
I can’t think of a more beautiful sentiment, nor more beautiful artwork to convey it. Congratulations on your show, Milka!
You can view Twilight Gods online at Cactus Gallery here, and follow her on Instagram at @milka.lolo
Wise words at a time when hope is what we are all holding on to. Bravo Milka on another fantastic exhibit and thank you Chris for featuring such a deserving artist!
My pleasure! Her work is simply spectacular.