Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Isadora Lopez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Isadora, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

For me the transition I went through in college really shaped who I am as an artist. Growing up Puerto Rican and Dominican with my fairer skinned, straight/ soft curly , haired cousins it was easy to feel like I didn’t belong. My hair was called nappy, my skin was mocked if it absorbed “too much” sun. I rarely saw myself the media I consumed and if I did they were surely never the main character of the focus of an artistic work. Countless hours in art history class, attending live drawing nights, down to the advertising of my favorite products. I had a transformative moment in the rain on the way home from class after being encouraged by my roommates and friends to stop straightening my hair and wear it naturally. I would usually hide from the rain so that it would not make my hair frizzy but finally that day enough was enough. I closed my umbrella and I let the water fall on my hair as I started up clipping my tracks. I felt such a sense of relief and freedom. So much of myself was wrapped up in eurocentric standards of beauty. From that moment on I decided to make art for me and people that looked like me. I remember one professor saying “You can’t just make a design for you and your friends” to which I replied “Why not? No one else is designing with us in mind.”

It was 2017, the project was to create a brand identity, packaging and website for a product of your choosing. I chose a hair dye brand. Anyone who has dyed their hair knows that it’s as exciting as it is terrifying. What if the color comes out wrong? What if it doesn’t look right with my face? It’s even harder when you don’t have a reference with your skin tone or hair type. My goal was to show diversity in the hair models on the packaging and involve the customers more on the website so people who were on the fence could find someone that looked like them and feel more inspired and secure to take the leap. I conducted interviews, did A/B testing, and researched the psychology behind why people dyed their hair at all. Somehow that wasn’t enough to convince my professor that the advertising market was completely ignoring huge demographics of people. Thankfully after I stated my case on how “If no one else was doing it why not me?” and “If Becky can design a company around athletic wear and only show white models without a problem, why am I being seen as being small minded because I want to show African American, Chinese, Mexican and mixed raced models that I know?”. The other students in my class agreed and we moved on, but it was my first taste of how the career I was preparing myself for would be. Although I don’t design much packaging anymore I have made a point to exclusively paint people of color in my art.

Isadora, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My grandfather was a painter so I’ve always been involved with art and all things creative. I’ve drawn for as long as I can remember and used to make clothes for my dolls growing up. In high school, I studied fashion and in college, I majored in graphic design and illustration. When I got out of college I started working with Creative Circle, a Stamford-based agency that connected me with big brand companies like GUESS Watches, Adidas, and The Biondo Group. I’m currently working as a full-time graphic designer and I paint / cosplay in my free time. With my day job, I tackle projects such as business cards, billboards, truck wraps, social media ads/ content, motion graphics, and more. I also do freelance graphic design where I enjoy bringing a small business to life with a logo and other branding collateral.
I am most proud of my ability to adapt my style of creativity to all sorts of brands be it beauty, sports, construction, food/ beverages, music, and much more. As for my paintings, I’m most proud of how I can use my joy, love, pain, and pride to connect with others through a canvas. It’s my pleasure to showcase the beauty of all shapes, sizes, and skin tones. With my cosplay I feel like the little girl in me has become the doll, I spend hours sometimes weeks working on costumes of my favorite characters.

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

My goal is to lean more into my painting and selling prints. One of my favorite quotes “My past is an unfinished painting as the artist of that painting I must fill in all the ugly holes, and make it beautiful again.” I find great comfort in knowing that a lot of experiences are universal and that music and art are our ways of connecting with each other.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the biggest lessons I learned as an artist is don’t wait until you’re ready is great advice but also working multiple jobs helps give yourself security and some cushion while you figure things out.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.isadoramlopez.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isadorable_art_/

Image Credits
The picture of me with the crown and green hair was taken by Lea Raymond. https://www.instagram.com/lalearcreative/