We recently connected with Panchita and have shared our conversation below.
Panchita , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
As a visual artist, I’m completely self taught. I like to think that I’ve inherited a lot of skills from my ancestors, all very artistic and creative people. My dad is an incredible painter and I feel very connected to my ancestors when I create.
When the pandemic came, I had been painting on pots and furniture at that point for about 2 years. I had the strong urge to bring my paintings to the 3d and heard about air dry clay and bought some from a company called Sculptd. I watched a few Youtube videos to get the hang of the basics and from there I was off.
Working with clay is unlike any other art form as you really start with nothing but the idea. Sometimes you don’t even have that but the clay leads you. It a very spiritual practice that connects you to the earth and builds understanding of intuition, balance and the importance of structure.
I had no idea that this interest would completely reshape my life. I continued sculpting and ended up creating an entire series of work that was then shown (and still are featured) in galleries and design showrooms. I had the chance in 2022 to bring my sculptures to a large scale designing and installing a window display in the World Trade Center Oculus. This project began introducing more paper products and paper mache into my work.
In 2024, I was approached to teach ceramics at a local ceramic studio in Jersey City and it is now a joy to teach this craft and work with traditional kiln fired clay. As someone self taught, I enjoy bringing a fresh perspective to my students and encouraging experimentation and imagination. What works for one sculptor may not work for another.
I’m thankful at this point to now have more traditional training thanks to my colleagues at the ceramic studio. I would not change my journey though and have never seen the need to ‘speed up’ the process. Working with clay teaches you that it is quite literally all about the process, the journey of creation. Magic takes place on it’s own time.
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?
Panchita/Panxita Maldonado is an award-winning multimedia artist based in the Tri-State area . With a storied career spanning the visual, performing, and design landscapes, she unifies her creative expressions into one vibrant universe.
Her work explores themes of self-discovery and celebration of one’s multitudes. She moves fluidly between disciplines of sculpture, installation, painting, digital illustration, and performance art. A dedicated student of astrology, tarot, mythology and dance, Panchita weaves these interests into her creations.
She creates with her ancestors in mind and honors Latinx culture and craft in her process. Her favorite materials to work with are natural mediums of paper, clay and recycled products.
She aims to empower others to tap into their childlike imagination, unearth the creator within and find oneness with the nature that surrounds them.
Founder of creative house Panchita Artista LLC, she creates for clients such as John Varvatos, _NIM Peru and BAMM Global and has been featured in The New York Times, Architectural Digest and Curbed NY. Her creative house offers a myriad of services in art and design from custom designed and painted murals, installations, commissions, color consultations for interiors and unique learning experiences in art. A passionate arts educator, she teaches regular sculpture classes in NY and NJ.
Her greatest joys are beach days with her family and cuddling with her 12 year old tuxedo cat, Papi Chulo.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
At it’s core, my work is about self exploration and encouraging others to celebrate their vast multitudes.
Through my work, I’ve gained greater knowledge of my own multitudes and it’s given me a deeper understanding and love of who I am. My hope is that my art can inspire others to do the same.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
-Hire artists rather than using AI/ChatGPT.
-Pay artists what they’re worth/their asking price.
-Know that art is in EVERYTHING – ads, store signage, website layouts, fonts, visual displays, painting a room or exterior of a building, knitting, sewing, the list goes on and on. Art is not just painting or sculpture, the world of design is vast and the possibilities are endless when it comes to different opportunities that can be created.
-When hiring an artist, know that so much of their work goes unseen by clients. If the artist is designing something from scratch, recognize that the time conceptualizing is significant, that it also takes additional hours to bring a piece to physical reality and that this is not a skill everyone possesses.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.panchitaartista.com
- Instagram: @panchitaartista
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@panchitaartista
- Other: Substack: https://panchitasworld.substack.com/
Big Cartel Shop: https://panchitaartista.bigcartel.com/
Image Credits
Photos by:
Primme Creative
Sam Spratt