Meet Lucha Rodríguez: Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lucha Rodríguez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lucha, what are you inspired by?
Light, shadows, pink, and paper. Everything that might be too subtle or left unseen as we walk by inspires me. The things we take for granted or deemed too small or insignificant. I’m interested in how we look at things and how our individual and collective perspectives matter in the process of creating and perceiving life around us. 

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I manage to balance large paper installations that can take over entire walls with smaller framed works of hand-cut paper. I have been working with paper for over a decade now, and it still continues to surprise me every time I work with it. I often come up with new ideas and designs as I cut paper, so I always have a notebook ready to sketch down ideas. Being in my studio makes me want to create more and to improve my practice. I appreciate every minute I spend there, it’s a very special place for me, and I hope it will continue to be for a very long time to come. I’m proud of being able to stay creative and to constantly explore ideas in a variety of ways through different techniques and concepts. Through my work, I’m able to celebrate my love for paper, light, and the color pink. I’m an artist today because I have never stopped thinking about art, talking about art, or supporting the arts somehow. Art is a constant and essential part of my life. My advice to stay on the creative path would be first to be grateful for your creativity and to everyone who has taken the time to see or chat about your art. Also, try to surround yourself with people who lift you up and are just as passionate about their work as you are. I always turn to my loved ones, I am so grateful for their support, without which I wouldn’t be where I am today. Also, it’s great to have creative friends to exchange ideas and the most important thing I would say is to keep making your art, make it a priority in your life while also caring for those around you, your family, neighbors, and your community. It’s important to make an effort to listen to those around us and to try to connect with them with empathy and respect. I would like the world to remember that you can do a lot from very little and that your perspective matters. Take moments to sit with yourself and figure out what you want out of life. That’s what I continue to do in my studio every day. My wish is for all artists and creatives out there to succeed and make the most out of life. Best of luck to you all!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My favorite spots to eat are Dulce Vegan Bakery (it is the BEST and my first choice always), Elmyriachi, Green Sprout, and R. Thomas. For coffee, I would take my BFF to Dancing Goats. For sweet treats, tea, and more coffee Revolution Doughnuts is always amazing and one of my TOP spots. Places to enjoy a little nature or stroll around would be Arabia Mountain, Piedmont Park, and the BeltLine. Down the BeltLine, if you see the King of Pops Logo you should stop and get one. Don’t miss out on King of Pops. For art, I would probably take them to the Atlanta Contemporary, or MoCA GA. In past years, I used to visit East Atlanta a lot for its music venues. There are lots of incredible local bands to support and check out. At the end of every day, my BFF and I would hang out in my studio for more coffee chit-chat and art, but would definitely make sure to catch the sunset from my home deck! Natural light in the South is just gorgeous and inspiring!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Huge shoutout to Gerardo Reyes, Mariana Reyes, and Señor Sergio from Ger – Art Gallery and Framing. Thank you for all the years of love, care, and support, also thank you for your pristine frames and installation magic you have helped me create. Another huge shoutout to James McConnell and Mark Basehore for giving me my first art show ever in the U.S. I will never forget it! Also, a BIG shoutout to the Georgia Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts for their continuous support and inspiration to keep moving forward! Shoutout to everyone in the creative field, the forever epic Sophireaptress, and of course my family.

Website: http://love-lucha-now.org/
Instagram: @luchapink

Image Credits
Paco Vergachette