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

Sista, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

My rhythm of artistic practice underwent a foundational shift when my father died in the summer of 2021. That type of grief has a way of creating immense space, and in that pause, allows for sharp clarity in perspective of our priorities. The first art I made after his death was part of the month-long, daily prompted drawing challenge, Inktober, during the month of October in 2021. The little bit of outside structure that Inktober provided was just what I needed to ease back into creating. This disciplined drawing practice catalyzed a return to my roots, grounding in, and solely focusing on ink drawings for the following 18 months. Up until this experience, my work had always been informed by themes of transformation and death/rebirth cycles. More often than not though, these were subtle influences, echoes left behind in my marks as I alchemized my own losses and life changes through the process of art making. However, after my dad’s death, working with my grief led me to realize that my artwork now needed to be a bit more direct in its themes and messaging – bringing loss, mortality, and our cultural relationship with death into crisp focus.

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 am a visual artist enamored with the alchemy of mark making. I play with a variety of mediums in my work, exploring death/rebirth cycles and creating space for transformation through honoring the truths in loss, mortality, and inevitable change. These thematic threads consistently weave throughout my artwork, while their physical manifestations can include drawing, painting, mixed media, sculpture, or interdisciplinary performance.

My subject matter can speak to these death/rebirth cycles – such as animal skulls, flora, and fungi in my ink drawings. Other times my process and materials carry the entities of transformation and grief. Through the alchemy of using my old artwork as a medium in creating new art, I tend to the loss of beliefs, patterns and connections; giving myself grace to build from the ashes anew. In this process coined, Artwork Alchemy, I destroy my old artwork by either physically tearing it up to use the paper pieces in constructing a new three-dimensional work, or introducing fresh marks, mediums and forms to transform the original piece, giving it new life. This process uses the catalyst energy of destruction to flow into creation with pieces of the fallout – a tangible ritual reflecting the death/rebirth cycle.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Honestly, just that art/artist organizations, collectives, and communities are not only out there, but more accessible than you may think. It will require a little research to find what’s available where you are, but it is worth the courage of showing up to that event or submitting to that group show to build creative community. And if what’s established isn’t really your vibe, you can start your own – there are others out there who will resonate with the marks you make; who make similar marks of their own.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

In an immediate individual way, seek out handmade and artist-made items whenever you can. I know Amazon is only a click away, but so is Etsy. Especially during the summer and holiday seasons, check out the numerous art and craft markets that Colorado has to offer. From a bigger picture perspective: support, policy and programming for affordable housing, healthcare, and student debt relief. Unlike the starving artist trope, folks actually have the bandwidth to flourish creatively when their energy isn’t being mainly funneled into survival just keeping their heads above water paying the bills. Everyone’s an artist until rent is due.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sistalunamakes.com/
• Instagram: @sista.luna.makes