We recently connected with Emely Acevedo Arias and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Emely thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

During my last year at Parsons, I decided to do a visual development project for my thesis. I started by developing loglines of possible stories, when I remembered a story of a mythical woman they told me when I was a kid. The story narrated how there was a mysterious woman who lived in the forest with long hair and backward feet. The legend says that if you are a man alone in the mountains in the Dominican Republic, she will seduce you and then kill you. Normally that would be the only thing I would hear about her, so I wanted to show another aspect of her as a legend.

I then found out more details about her character, and decided to give her an approach more tied to nature and protection for my project. In this story, a little kid escaped his home with his dog because of his father’s abusive behavior. They get lost in the middle of the night and encounter a galipote, a man with the ability to change into an animal, who tries to eat them. They end up being saved by a ciguapa, and she leads them to a village full of ciguapas so they can rest.

This project revived my interest in Dominican legends and tales. I want to make more interpretations of these legends and show the world that part of our culture that has to stay alive.

Emely, 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 am a Dominican Illustrator and Visual Development Artist. After I finished my studies at Chavón, I went to New York and graduated from Parsons School of Design this year in Illustration. Since I was a kid I knew I wanted to work in the animation industry, and bring stories that feel believable.

At the moment I find myself doing work digitally, mixing gouache and color pencils or, sometimes modelling 3D characters. My work centers on developing elements for storytelling through my illustrations. I also like to implement elements from nature and my folklore!

And a little quick note about myself, I love musicals and ballet! The storytelling and movement inspire me a lot when designing. It is not only beautiful but intriguing, with all the details that go in from the costume design to the subtle movements of the characters.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal is to contribute to the Dominican representation in the animation industry, both behind the scenes and on the screen.  I want to bring more characters and worlds that show those colorful and fantastical elements from my culture.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I wish I had seen the importance of getting more involved in art and animation communities earlier! Not only they can give you support on your journey, but inside a community, you learn from each other. There is so much more to see and discover from others. It is a great way of meeting people who also want to be in the industry or already are in the workforce. People can share their experiences and give advice or feedback. You also end up connecting with people who have been in your shoes or are in a similar situation to yours.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.emelyacevedo.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/messymoon_
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/emelyacevedoarias
• Twitter: twitter.com/messymoon_