Meet Artist of the Month Lola Santana

One of the things that excited me about being an artist, besides getting my hands on a canvas and paint (the best thing!), is building community and meeting new artists. It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you my newest series: “Meet Artist of the Month:” in which I will feature a female Latina artist every month on my website.

                                                                                                                                                                                 
This month, I have had great fun getting to know more about artist Lola Santana. You can visit her website at https://funkyflychick.com/ to check out her work and learn more about her.
I conducted a short interview to learn more about her and her work. You can read her responses below. Enjoy and if you have any questions or know an artist who would like to be featured please send me a message!
                                                                                                                                                                                 

Lola: While I really enjoy doing paintings, sketches and more, right now my main love is sculpture. I create with kiln fired ceramics when I’m at the studio at Sawtooth in Winston Salem, NC, and I work at home with polymer clay, epoxy clay, paper mache, and more. I like mixing mediums. I like adding found objects and making strange and wonderful characters. Each one is made with a story in mind, a name, a personality, and is infused with good intention and excellent energy. Whenever one of my works goes out into the world, I know in my heart they add goodness and love to whatever room they end up in.

                                                                                                                                                                          
Carolina : What’s your cultural background?
Lola: My mother is Colombian, born in Manizales. My father was Uruguayan, born in Montevideo. I am first generation American, born in Brooklyn New York. My first language is Spanish and I didn’t learn English until I was about 7 years old! I am also Jewish on both sides of my family.
 
Carolina: What inspires your work?
Lola: So much. In no particular order: Video games, fashion, clothing, music, nature, clock parts, machine sprockets, circus stuff, the strange and unusual, underwater + space travel, books, magazines, stories, movies, colors, feelings. I am inspired by so many things. I am very fond of steampunk, cyberpunk, pastel goth, punk rock, anti-establishment rebellion stuff, loud and aggressive feelings as well as soft, sour emotions. I am inspired by Love and AI and existencial dread. The human condition. Death.
 
 Carolina: What are your hobbies outside of art?
Lola: I like immersive art experiences and estate sales. I like to write and come up with unique story concepts for movies and tv series. I love to play video games, ride my bike, garden, watch funny videos, immerse myself in quality tv and generally distract myself from the world. I enjoy snuggling with my dogs and cats, cooking, watching birds, seeing new places and experiencing new things.