We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Priscilla Lustig. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Priscilla below.

Priscilla, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Choosing a career path in a creative industry is often full of risks and opportunities to grow. I see risk as being a necessary, fulfilling, and difficult part of the process. Every time I have encountered a risk and decided to lean into it rather than run from it, I have looked back and been grateful to have had the experience — and never once regretted taking a chance to bet on myself.

In college I was majoring in engineering, finding myself extremely unhappy with my courses and unable to picture myself with enthusiasm in that alternate version of my future. I took a semester off of school to sort things and decide on what would bring me long term fulfillment. I stayed up late painting until 5 am most of those nights, something that had helped me process life from an early age. I reenrolled in the school of art and design the next semester and haven’t looked back. Of course, at the time, the risk in switching paths out of a “stable,” or more normal career path was a bit terrifying. I even had close friends worrying about me and cautioning me against the decision. But, I knew in my heart that no matter what this path had in store for me, I would make the best of every opportunity I had, and I would be happy to do it.

My time in the art and design school not only formed the basis of my current painting style, but also introduced me to working in museums as an exhibitions coordinator. The museum experience I gained taught me how to hang art, package and ship art, among many other things. For the next two years after graduation, while still making art on the side, I worked at two museums and a fine dining restaurant until I moved to Austin, Texas in 2022. After moving to Austin I used all of the savings I had accrued to open my first studio and retail space. This risky decision allowed me to spend the first year living in Austin as a full time artist, networking, finding my community and truly learning what it takes to sustain a career as an artist.

Within these last two years since moving to Austin, my world has grown immensely. I’ve been lucky to have found gallery representation with a gallery I am really proud to be working with, I have a secondary studio in Los Angeles, I’ve met so many amazing artists and collectors, and I’m certain that the younger version of myself struggling with making the decision to change her major, would be proud.

The risks are where the magic happens.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am an artist based in Austin, Texas with a dual-city studio practice in Los Angeles, California. My bold, color-filled abstract paintings and objects present visually playful color palettes, while the design hidden within the grid work speaks to the rigorousness of my craft. Built by calculated measurements and formed by sharp tape lines, the creative process behind my work is tedious and flirts with perfectionism.

I received my BFA in Painting and Drawing from Louisiana State University in 2019. During my bachelors degree studies, I became obsessed with the effects color theory, texture pairing, and shape identification have on human sensory responses. Thereafter, my artistic practice has centered around creating synesthetic experiences based on the visual and touch memory receptors.

My direct influences include hard-edge abstraction, postmodernism, and the Memphis Design Movement.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

On a personal level, my first goal is to cultivate opportunity and stability in my career, centered around the things I love the most. After this, my second motivator is to then be able to share those opportunities, experiences and knowledge with other artists. Someday, I would really enjoy to open a residency program.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

The art world is a bit like an onion in that there are so many layers that make up a healthy creative ecosystem. Even an act as small as sharing art that inspires you on your social media pages can have a huge impact on helping your favorite artists become exposed to career-changing opportunities. Attend shows that interest you, engage in conversations to form deeper understandings, donate to local art institutions, collect art, attend art museums and art fairs, donate art to local institutions or find ways to volunteer and get involved in ways which encourage growth. There are so many ways to help cultivate a robust and dynamic art scene, I’ve hardly scratched the surface. One final tip, buy art from artists as opposed to big box stores. Buying authentic pieces direct from the studio or gallery may be more costly than mass-produced reproductions, but I guarantee that the art you cherish the longest will be something that is unique, truly resonates with you and should be something that you see as a long-term investment.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.priscilla.studio/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/priscillalustig/