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

Alright, Claudia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Whether I’m working on a tiny painting or a big installation, every project feels incredibly significant at that moment. However, two bodies of work stand out for their profound impact and resonance with current issues: my “US DOLLS” series and my “Ammo” series.

“US DOLLS” juxtaposes the human tendency to give life to inanimate objects with the societal woes stemming from treating individuals as toys, devoid of emotions, opinions, or rights. This group of sculptures, installations and prints was born from my observations of the increasing dehumanization in society, where people’s voices and identities are often ignored or suppressed. For this body of work, I employed wood, metal, paper, porcelain, books and mixed media, to create dolls that explore literary censorship, discrimination, immigrants’ rights and reproductive freedom.

Simultaneously, my “Ammo” series investigates the cultural, economic, and political systems behind gun violence in America. Through various artistic forms such as interactive installations, these artworks challenge viewers to rethink competition, loss and freedom. Features include an oversized checkerboard that turns viewers into chess pieces and then Jenga players, to unfurl the rules of a pastime that is not about winning but about who loses first. Still-life vases with flower-resembling bullets contemplate the transmission of harmful beliefs across generations, while abstract works aim for healing by reshaping narratives amid adversity.

Both series are deeply personal and reflect my commitment to addressing critical societal issues through art. They represent my belief in art’s power to provoke thought, encourage empathy, and inspire change.

Claudia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m a multidisciplinary artist who merges abstraction with representation to explore emotions and social issues within our communities. Having immigrated from Mexico as a young adult, I draw inspiration from my personal experiences with injustices. By identifying parallel challenges in the United States, I dissect and address them through my art. I find the resulting dialogue empowering, not only as a Latina freely speaking up as an American citizen, but as an individual investigating the layers within a social topic to better shape and understand my journey and identity.

My art practice encompasses research, meditation, and the development of strong conceptual roots from which a variety of pieces, often involving different disciplines, grow.

On a given day, I might create a mixed media piece combining collages of my drawings and a diverse range of mediums, from acrylics to spray paint. On the next, I might feel inspired by my previous career in architecture and the need to expand on a certain topic, so I move to the three-dimensional space, perhaps trying a new material. If I continue finding ideas worth exploring within my concept, I might create an art performance or a video work next. I find that the flexibility and permission to experiment that I grant myself are the best ways to counterbalance the emotional heaviness of the social issues I explore in my practice.

I believe that this balance can be found in all of my pieces, regardless of their format. I love hearing collectors and viewers say that the playfulness and beauty in my work allow them to face a difficult issue head-on and enable them to start important conversations.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

The arts require support at all times, especially during challenging periods. I think that right now is crucial to ensure that our fundamental rights, such as freedom of expression, are protected so we can build upon them.

To foster a thriving creative ecosystem, we need public funding and grants for art organizations, programs, and creatives; more and better community art centers; affordable spaces for the arts; quality arts education in schools; and an overall shift in public perception so that art is seen as essential, not indulgent. It is important that, as a society, we advocate for and work together to achieve these goals.

Individually, there are many ways to help: attend exhibitions, donate to arts organizations, purchase art, volunteer at art-related events, collaborate with artists, spread the word about artists you love, or take art classes. Supporting the arts actively contributes to stronger, more vibrant communities and enhances our lives

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

When I decided to become a full-time artist after a career as an independent service provider in both architecture and the food industry, I had to let go of the idea that I was catering to a tangible client.

Whether I was designing a contemporary house or making custom cupcakes for a wedding, I always listened to my clients and ensured I responded in the best way possible to their needs, desires, and dreams. When I first started spending more time in my studio as a professional artist, I wondered if my fine art pieces needed to align with certain clients in the form of galleries, curators, or audiences to be as successful as my other entrepreneurial activities had been.

Thankfully, the answer became clear soon enough as I immersed myself in my practice. By paying attention to my creative process and understanding how my artworks originate from my research and reflections on social issues that I am passionate about, I realized that my new “clients” were the core ideas tying together each body of work. I no longer had any responsibility toward a person or a group of people. I was committed—and continue to be—to something more powerful: my personal and honest understanding of the concepts that originate art itself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.claudiamaysen.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claudiamaysen.art/

Image Credits

Claudia Maysen with two US DOLLS artwork photo, by Sheryl Lanzel
Exhibitions photos at 5 Points Gallery + Studios, by Mauro Garcia Maysen