art bazaar for worker solidarity
CIANA ANITA KALOKOMAIKA' IMAIKALANIMAI LEE
How are you? How have you been coping with this pandemic/ quarantine?
I have been adjusting to distance teaching and figuring out how to engage the students I teach through a combination of zoom calls, delivered materials, and online curriculum. It was really difficult at first trying to process the intellectual drain and excess of physical energy, but I am finally settling into a rhythm of self care. I also planted my first edible garden! So I just talk to the sprouts like they're my students.
What are you working on right now?
I am working on a portrait of my deceased abuelita and have been painting and sewing gnomes. Repetition has been good for my brain lately.
Do you ever get stuck in your practice? how do you unstuck?
I find that as an educator I am trying to find the balance between the intense expression/production required of me with the students and also having a personal art practice. What has helped me continue the expression is repetition. Creating multiple variations of an object, and settling into the meditative pace that can create is very relaxing for me.
What made you wanna get involved in Art Bazaar for Worker Solidarity?
There is a sense of hopelessness in this time. Trying to find the ways we as artists can support each other and community members aside from the instability of the political response is a way for me to reclaim my power. I love working to bring people together. As a fellow organizer of this project, honestly just having the opportunity to problem solve and create with my homegirls is incentive enough.
What are some cartoons you liked as a child?
I was not allowed to watch cartoons as a child, so I became an avid reader and would disappear into volumes and series of books. Popeye and the Hardy Brothers were my favorite comics though.
Any favorite foods, least favorite foods?
I am a fruit bat and can eat a bag of apples in a day. My least favorite food is tripa.
Where are you from and how does it influence your art?
I’m from the rural city of Santa Paula. Growing up so close to nature and having strong bonds with animals, streams and earth processes influences the way I see and portray whatever I am creating. I love to observe the ripples and movement of people and objects.
Have you ever sustained any art related injuries? Tell us about it!
In my practice as a fire flow artist I have singed flesh and hair, but it comes with the territory, and I have self care practices in place to soothe the mild burns.
How do you envision the art world post-pandemic?
The first year post pandemic is going to be the most demanding in terms of meeting legal guidelines for spacing and sanitation. However, I envision an art scene that becomes more dynamic with the messages we create individually and together.
