Sofia Maldonado is used to receiving praise and attention for her art, but nothing quite like what’s happened in response to her mural prominently displayed in Times Square. The mural, which Maldonado describes as an “opened a line of discussion that America needed,” has come under protest for the way she represents Latino and African-American women.
“It is a new feeling,” Maldonado says about how public reaction to the mural is affecting her. “[B]ut definitely a lovely thing that has made me grow internally as a human and artist.” Currently out on tour, we linked up with Maldonado to find out more about this inspiring and influential artist.
Read on to get to know Sofia Maldonado in this new RubyHornet exclusive interview where she talks about the inspiration behind the buzzing 42nd St. mural, growing up in Puerto Rico, her Cuban heritage and what’s on her iPod.
RubyHornet: I understand you were born in Puerto Rico, to a Cuban mother. How did your mom’s heritage frame life in Puerto Rico? How long did you live in Puerto Rico before you moved to the U.S.?
Sofia Maldonado: I always felt a bit atypical in Puerto Rico, until I went to Cuba, where I found so many similarities to the people down there. My mom’s heritage played a role while growing up, I was very much trained to work non-stop for my goals. Puerto Rico has always been my inspiration to create, until four years ago when I moved to New York, where I decided to integrate the Caribbean as a whole in my art.
RubyHornet: Do you travel back to the Caribbean often? How do your experiences in the U.S. affect your outlook on your homeland, or vice versa?
Sofia Maldonado: I do travel often. New York is great, but I miss the tropic, the sea, and the street life of the Caribbean. My murals and projects have become more nostalgic… I miss the simple things of the third world.
RubyHornet: In 2002 you participated in the Sculpture and Installation Seminar at the School of Visual Arts, in New York. How did you get there? Where was your start in the visual arts?
Sofia Maldonado: That was the summer after I graduated from high school. Really intense, I just waned to explore the city; go to art shows and search for street art/graffiti, so I was late everyday to that seminar… hahaha! I guess I was really young, but it was a great experience, I worked with mold making and did my first wall installation.
RubyHornet: Which artist(s) was most influential to you as you developed your art and found your own niche?
Sofia Maldonado: While in college it was a great opportunity to read the Beautiful Losers book catalog. That gave me a sense of direction towards my main goals. Many of those artists inspired me while living on the Island. Also, the graffiti art scene of Brazil and the Hip Hop scene of Spain, gave me that spark I needed to take off from the colonial mentality.
RubyHornet: How does it feel to be so young and causing such controversy through your art in Times Square?
Sofia Maldonado: It is a new feeling, but definitely a lovely thing that has made me grow internally as a human and artist.
(click image to see whole mural)
RubyHornet: Did you ever think people might find your portrayal of women offensive? They say art is supposed to illicit emotions, do you see it as a positive in that your work touches a nerve?
Sofia Maldonado: I have done much more sexy characters before. I find beauty in naughtiness; I believe it is part of my culture. This mural opened a line of discussion that America needed, which I found very healthy: race, discrimination, street (“ghetto”) fashion aesthetic, and minority representation.
RubyHornet: Why do you think this mural in particular is causing so much uproar, when your past work didn’t?
Sofia Maldonado: This mural is in the heart of the city, so people from all places are exposed to it, and they have a voice and opinion to get across, which I highly respect.
RubyHornet: In your “Loose World” interview, you mentioned that the women in your 42nd St. mural were real women that you met in Connecticut. Are all your drawings based off of people you meet in your daily life?
Sofia Maldonado: They are like a fusion of people (women) I meet thru my travels, know, interact with or watch pass by, mixed with my imagination and life experiences.
RubyHornet: I really admire how your artwork depicts diversity and the freedom to be whomever you want, and to be proud of whom you are. Why do you think people are so afraid of this?
Sofia Maldonado: It’s America!
RubyHornet: This is a heavy music site, if we looked through your ipod, or visited your work space, what kind of artists would we find you listening to?
Sofia Maldonado: This is going to be a fun answer… Reggaeton was a big inspiration for this mural, artists like: Calle 13, Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Tego Calderon, Jowel y Randy, Jomo, and Cosculluela; as well as dancehall. The music selection depends on my mood and project concept. Now I am more into Beyonce, Rihana, Lady Gaga, super pop stuff, because I am painting some canvases that correspond to their concept and effect in society. For example, for Fela’s 27 Queens, gouache paintings on paper, a body of work I developed at Vermont Studios Residency program I listened to Fela Kuti’s music while I worked. This allowed me to place myself in their atmosphere and it influenced the drawing’s colors into a much more Africanized expression.
RubyHornet: I love the way you’ve transformed old skateboards into real works of art, what other mediums do you hope to/have you work(ed) with?
Sofia Maldonado: That body of work was part of the Tropical Storm Series. In this project, I also got to paint an abandoned pool in the middle of the rainforest, which was super dope! I am looking forward to doing some sculptural work in the future. For now I am exploring the 2D element in my mural work. I’m working with layers of wood-cut-out panels.
RubyHornet: Are there any plans of branding your art into a line of t-shirts, notebooks, or accessories?
Sofia Maldonado: That’s a future plan. For now I am part of the Public Works Department first ever Artists Apparel Launch in May, NY.
RubyHornet: If you were given the opportunity to collaborate with any artist, who would it be?
Sofia Maldonado: I would love to collaborate with Beyonce or J-Lo, because I admire their hard working spirits, artistic drive, and their performances have a huge similarity to my characters.
RubyHornet: What is the main message you want people to take away from your artwork?
Sofia Maldonado: The most important thing for me is for people to enjoy my work, and if they don’t, then at least they have an opinion about it… make them think, for a bit out of the box!
Check out Sofia’s blog FIAAAS
