Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Issis Macias. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Issis, thanks for joining us today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?
I hope my legacy will be creating art that offers healing and connection, honors my roots, and inspires others to embrace transformation and find peace in their own lives. I want my work to leave a lasting sense of hope and shared humanity.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’m a self-taught artist based in Madison, Wisconsin, originally from Los Angeles and the daughter of Mexican immigrants. Creativity has always been part of my life, but I turned to painting more seriously in 2020, during the uncertainty of the pandemic and the transformative experience of becoming a new mother. Art became a way to heal, process change, and reinvent myself.
I primarily work with acrylic and oil pastels, creating abstract, colorful pieces that reflect both the beauty and complexity of life. My work transforms personal stories into universal expressions, offering viewers a space for reflection, healing, and connection. Collectors often tell me they’re drawn to my ability to capture emotion in unexpected ways, which I think is what sets me apart.
I’m proud to have been named the 2025 Latina Artist of the Year by Latinos Organizing for Understanding and Development, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting Latino arts in Wisconsin, and to have my work held in private collections across the U.S., Mexico, and Europe. What I most want people to know is that my art is rooted in community and transformation. I create with the hope that it inspires others to embrace their own journeys and find peace in the process.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I found art later in life, inspired by a community of artists in downtown Los Angeles. Painting and exploring with paint quickly became a form of meditation. During the pandemic, it carried me through a painful birth and the challenges of new motherhood; it helped me regulate my emotions while caring for an infant, and gave me hope after the loss of my professional identity following a layoff.
Through this process, I learned to express the complexity of that time – the unconditional love and joy of raising my daughter alongside the struggles of change – through color and form on canvas. To me, the most rewarding part of being an artist is transforming my lived experiences into a universal language others can connect with.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
I feel like non-creatives often struggle to understand my willingness to sit in uncertainty. As an intuitive artist, I step into the unknown without a set plan, trusting that forms, colors, and marks will guide me. To someone watching, it might look chaotic, but for me, that openness is where meaning and beauty emerge.
Each painting becomes an extension of my inner world, shaped by life’s transformations, and I hope it offers others a mirror where they might recognize something of themselves, too.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.issismacias.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/issis.unstrung
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSF7WyHhT3M
Image Credits
Individual photos credits the photographer: Martin Jenich