Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ismael De Anda III. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Ismael, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
I always drew as a child. When I was in college at UTEP in El Paso, Texas, I visited New York and the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Guggenheim museum for the first time. I saw an exhibition of German Refigured Painting, which included artist Anlsem Kiefer. I was blown away by the combined experience of the architecture and the scale of the paintings in this show. Also at that time my stepfather reminded me of the incredible artistic history of my Mexican heritage and the unique culture found at the U.S/Mexico Gateway. These inspirations were catalysts that set me on my path as a professional artist.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
For folks who may not have read about you before, can you please tell our readers about yourself, how you got into your industry / business / discipline / craft etc, what type of products/services/creative works you provide, what problems you solve for your clients and/or what you think sets you apart from others. What are you most proud of and what are the main things you want potential clients/followers/fans to know about you/your brand/your work/ etc. Please provide as much detail as you feel relevant as this is one of the core questions where the reader will get to know about you and your brand/organization/etc.
My name is Ismael de Anda III. I am an artist. I was born and raised in the El Paso, Texas/ Ciudad Juarez Mexico area at the US/Mexico Gateway. Where I grew up has made a big impact on my artwork, in particular my maternal grandparents’ farm, which is sometimes simultaneously in the US and Mexico depending on the flow of the Rio Grande/ Rio Bravo River. I received my Masters of Fine Arts from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). I now live and work in Los Angeles.
CalArts fostered the notion that art can bring new ideas into the world and change, develop, and inspire people’s perceptions about the world around them. I aim to do that with my artwork. I also grew up with science fiction culture so many of my works aim to consider inventions for the future.
I call my style of artwork mutant practices, which uses a blend of various styles and mediums.
I often make site-specific immersive installations. Recently I have been working with digital collages printed on aluminum along with augmented reality technology developed by creative collaborator Eugene Ahn. I am also a member of Durden and Ray, a Los Angeles based, artist-run gallery and collective.
I have had the opportunity to exhibit my work throughout the US, Mexico, Costa Rica, Rome, Albania, Finland, Sweden, Berlin, Japan, and Taiwan. My artworks have been collected by private collectors and museums internationally.
Through my work as an artist I aim to continue to inspire new ideas and future generations of artists and creative culture.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I’ve had the opportunity to give workshops as a visiting artist throughout a wide range of elementary, middle, and high schools as well as teach at the collegiate level. It is always my goal to show up as a professional artist as an example that it is possible to sustain a thriving career as an artist and to help foster a future where artists are fully valued domestically and internationally, and supported as vital producers of culture.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
I don’t really believe in non-creatives. I believe everyone is an artist. Everyone is creative in one capacity or another. Whether it be cooking, skateboarding, teaching, dancing, customizing cars, building robots. etc. Everyone has their artistry to cultivate.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ismaeldeanda3.com/
- Instagram: @ismaeldeandaiii
- Other: http://www.durdenandray.com/#/ismaeldeanda/