Meet Edica Pacha: Artist

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

Hi Edica, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
This past year I have been creating murals in collaboration with Womxn From the Mountain, a group of cultural educators who focus on social justice and environmental issues. These women, who roots are in indigenous tribes from the western United States, have been offering awareness around the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women as well as other critical issues of our time. These women have deep passion and wisdom to share, and are bridge builders to new ways of being. I am honored to work with these women, and create large scale art with the powerful messages they share. I am interested in using the photographic and street art platform to spread messages about important issues of our time. To inspire others to wake up to what is happening in the world, and find ways to create inspiration. Street Art is also a way to spread beauty and wonder through the world. I am interested in working with new social impact groups in 2021, particularly around immigration and continue to work with native groups. 

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I create large scale photographic murals using a unique ‘layered in camera’ photographic style, that explores the mystical and mysterious sides of the feminine. I am interested in creating opportunities for ‘humans to be seen’ and vulnerabilities to be shared, while connecting deeply through Social Art and street art practices. I have been creating art since I was a teenager. I navigated my life through the creative practices. I studied photography and creative process in school, and that has lead me to experimental art in underground and festival communities. I dove into clothing design for many years, and now I focus on photography and street art. I like to collaborate with groups, and build next level visions and dreams. Art as livelihood can be challenging in many ways. Finding resources to fund work, and stay afloat while continuing to keep the passion alive can create panic and strife when not in flow. Yet resilience is the way of the game. Keeping the vision alive, while constantly trying new things and finding new ways to represent oneself. Flexibility and deep trust are the name of the game. My largest asset has been to do many different creative practices at once, so one day I’ll do clothing, and the next photography, and the next consulting or teaching. Working in the creative practices means that we have to be willing to do what it takes to make a living and keep our dreams alive. Some of my biggest lessons have been within collaboration. Learning how to work with others, while letting go of expectation. I have had to let go of beautiful visions because the alignment was not right. I have also built the most incredible visions with groups of people, so this is something I will continue to pursue with deeper perspective of which projects to put energy into. The work Im most excited about currently is the Social Impact collaborations. I love to create with groups that are working to bring social issues to the forefront. To create large scale art that has a deeper meaning and message to world issues we are facing. I love merging my creative form with impact and deeper vision.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in Boulder but grew up in Denver. I love seeing how Denver has emerged into a cutting edge arts city. My favorite things to do in Denver revolve around street art and the mural scene. I would recommend Rino and Santa Fe arts district for the art and murals, as well as Colfax for culture. I love hanging out at Washington Park, the botanical gardens, and the art museums are amazing as well. But the first thing I would suggest is to hit the road to the mountains and go to Cottonwood Hot Springs or Strawberry. There is unbelievable nature in Colorado, and I find this is my greatest inspiration of living here. I live in the meadows outside of Boulder, and I feel so blessed to be surrounded by land and epic views. I don’t go out to eat much these days, but when I do, my favorite treats are poke bowl at Turtle Boat in Denver.

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?
I want to give a shout out to the amazing women in my community. These radical powerful women have seen me through one of the most challenging years of my life, and as I come back to my vision and creation, these women have been the deep reflection of my own truth. Super grateful for the power of community!

Website: www.edicapacha.com
Instagram: edicapacha
Facebook: edicapachaphotography