What is your name?
My Name is Maria "Mia" Salazar
Where are you from?
I was born in Huancayo, Peru. It's a little town at the bottom of the Andes.
Have you thought of a name for your dream studio and what your ideal space looks like?
Yes my studio is called Of Art & Soul, and right now it's in a treehouse. I took over my kids treehouse because they don't play in it. Hoping to get a brick and mortar studio along with my Claymore Vets project.
How do you currently work out of your home and make do/make time/make space?
Because of COVID, all 3 of my children are fully virtual and homeschooled, so I don't have as much time to just create, so I have to be intentional to carve out time to get away, but I have learned to just go with the flow and create when I can.
Who are your favorite printmakers/artists and inspirations?
My favorite printmaker is Emily Louise Howard, her IG handle is ‘The diggingest girl’, her prints are whimsical, minimalistic but powerful. My favorite artists that inspire me are Frida Kahlo and Remedios Varo, I also like Salvador Dali. I like to dream my reality, so surrealist realism is my language
What was your first job as an artist?
I was part of an exclusive Exhibit for Veteran Artists for the Cohen veteran Network: "A Veteran's View". I was very humbled to have been the only woman veteran chosen out of all the submissions. I made two sculptures for this exhibit. A pair of Combat boots, life size, named: "The Fallen Ones" honoring all those who made the ultimate sacrifice and the second one was Called "Duality" and it represented the balance of listening to our heart or our mind.
Where did you discover printmaking and how did you get into it?
While attending college for Art therapy, it was a required class, and I fell in love with the versatility of printmaking. I love that you can print on anything with anything. I particularly enjoy collagraphs and block printing, I'm getting into screen printing as well.
What is one tool you could not create without?
I have this little wooden sculpting tool that my professor gifted me, and I use it every time. it's the perfect shape to get into the crevices and smooth the clay out. I also like the ergonomic feel in my hand is like an extra finger I never knew I needed.
I’ve noticed you’ve pursued a degree in Art Therapy. Would you like to explain your understanding of the correlation between art-making and therapy?
Yes! The simple way to explain it, is that art has the power to open doors to our subconscious, that are otherwise very guarded. For example, I'm not one to talk much about my life struggles, but if I make it into art it opens the door for a fluid conversation. I've always instinctively gravitated to art as a vehicle to process life. But understanding the psychology behind it is fascinating and reassuring to me that this is the way to heal our world!
Existential Whisper by Maria Salazar
Where did you discover ceramics and how did you get into it?
It was a required course for my degree, I like to say that Clay discovered me. It was like a soul mate reunion, it felt so natural to me, I can see it in my mind's eye, and my hands feel and create it into existence. I found it to be so meditative, I can spend hours sculpting while having an introspective conversation and processing Life. Clay is so grounding, it involves all senses, so within minutes of working with it you are in flow. Clay gives me a voice when words fail me to express how I feel.
Tell us about the Claymore Vets Project and how you’re trying to accomplish your goal to create growth and reconnection between veterans and clay-art.
For my First Solo Exhibit, I molded a visual and chronological autobiography in sculptures. For the first time I had to face my own traumatic experiences and how they have molded me into the person I am today. This process took me about 5 months to complete, but in the end I realized how much I had been able to untangle in my mind and soul. This soul healing inspired me to want to share this with my sisters and brothers in the military community. I find that clay is a great medium for veterans because it is physically demanding. The reason I went back to school to pursue Art therapy was because a Marine of mine became part of the 22, and I felt helpless. So Claymore Vets is my attempt at giving them a safe space to explore their creativity and to foster the reconnection we all hunger for.
Immigrant Girl by Maria Salazar
You come from two very distinct backgrounds. How would you say your background in the military and your cultural roots in Peru inspire your works, if they do?
For the longest time I suffered from impostor syndrome, I felt like the two couldn't co-exist. I'm the first and only woman in my family to have joined the military, and the Marine Corps at that, so I think my family struggled with being supportive and not understanding why I wanted to join. But embracing my duality, all sides of me, definitely influence my art. They are part of my soul. I like to create art that connects to people so I have to own my story, so that perhaps another person can see themselves reflected. ICU, is my slogan, my soul sees your soul.
As someone who has grown up in a first-generation background I feel I can understand your perspective on cultural shift. If possible, would you like to share your feelings as someone who migrated to the United States?
Yes, so I'm the first of 3 girls, and my parents tried to raise us the Peruvian way in an American environment so the struggle to fit in was very handicapping. I wasn't allowed to sleep over my basketball teammates house, or have boys over or anything that the American culture is very comfortable with, so very early on I learned to be alone, because I didn't want to explain to people why I couldn't do certain things, and even then Art was my escape. I was one of those Art kids that spent as much time as possible in the art room.
How has this pandemic and current events changed your life as an artist? What has stayed the same?
The biggest impact for me is having lost access to the studio, sculpting is like breathing to me, it's my sanity keeper. so it has been a very hard year, my depression resurfaced, even though I tried to keep actively engaged in all Creative Mediums. I started painting again and doing more printmaking. I started painting and boxing, and I think I'll do more of that when the weather gets nice, but my goal for 2021 is to get a space to get Claymore Vets back up and running and also to have a space to just dive into Clay again and let my mud warrior roar!
For more information on Maria Salazar’s work, visit:
Interview by Hugo Gatica January 2021