In between lands

What pieces or projects have you been working on lately?
In recent years I've been working on a project about identity, which is quite broad as it touches on several facets: the women in my family, my name, intimacy, migration, and the constants throughout my life. I put it on hold for the last year, but now I'm slowly picking it up again. Projects sometimes need a bit of breathing room, especially when they're so personal.

What did you learn (or unlearn) while working on them?
I think one of the most important things this project taught me is that sometimes you're a little lost in the process, not fully understanding why you make certain decisions. For me, it's a very intuitive act, and I often find it hard to put into words.

What words, ideas or emotions were going through your head?
Throughout the project, ideas like identity, family, heritage and legacy, death and life kept running through my mind. Flowers and self-portraits were also recurring themes. The self-portrait emerged as a way for me to know and understand myself.

Were there any conversations, movies, music, or books that made their way into that work?
A book that I came across during the process and that resonated with me a lot was Where Mimosa Blooms by Rita Puig Serra. I also made a playlist that accompanied me throughout the whole process, with a medley of songs. Some of the artists featured are Chavela Vargas, Caetano Veloso, and El Pescaílla.

What's been the most difficult thing you've faced recently in your creative process?
I think one of the hardest things I've faced lately has been comparison and insecurity. Constant social media use ends up being very dangerous and counterproductive for artists. On the one hand, we're overstimulated by images, by things the algorithm knows will appeal to us, and on the other, there's the constant comparison with what everyone else is doing. That's why I try to be very conscious of it so that it doesn't affect me or my creative process.

What is your favorite coffee shop and why do you like going there?
I don't know if I have a favorite coffee shop; there are several I like, and each one has its own reason. But right now, one that comes to mind is Orval, simply because I like to sit on the sidewalk drinking my coffee and eating a peanut butter cookie while the sun shines.

If your life were a movie this month, what would it be called and who would write the soundtrack?
Perhaps the title of this past month's film would be something like "In Between Lands", and I think the soundtrack would be made by Solange. I've been listening to her a lot lately and, on an imaginary and visual level, I feel like it's a match.

Which studios, laboratories, or workshops have you collaborated with recently or would you like to collaborate with in the future?
I always do my personal work in analog. In Barcelona, ​​I've been working with the same lab for years, Visualkorner. I started this particular project during my studies in Documentary Photography at El Observatorio. In the near future, I would like to continue my studies by taking the next course in narrative and final formats at the same school.

Recommend one or more artists you follow who inspire you, and tell us what you like most about their work or their way of working.
I have thousands of references to artists, but I'll mention the first three that came to mind, all three of them women.

An artist whose work I've always admired is Frida Kahlo. I find it very inspiring to revisit her work from time to time; I'm especially interested in her approach to self-portraiture and its connection to the pivotal moments in her life.

Another artist who inspires me a lot is Emma Sarpaniemi. She also works on self-portraits, but from a much more playful perspective. I really like her compositions, the colors, the outfits, and her simple ideas that work so well.

I also really like the work of Ana Margarita Flores. I'm interested in her documentary approach and the way she tackles the subjects. I think her work also reveals a certain fashion-conscious perspective.