Meet María Sánchez | Artist & Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with María Sánchez and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi María, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
From an early age I was involved with art. Since my childhood I have practiced music, painting and ballet. The last one, I practiced it full time until I was 22 years old. This allowed me to lead to different opportunities, so most part of my life I’ve been in a creative environment.
After graduating from university, I questioned myself as to whether to pursue a corporate or creative path. For a few years I did not feel comfortable in a rigid rhythm of life, and that’s when I remembered that since my teenage years I knew that I did not want my life to unfold in the same dynamic that most people or society sees as safe, which translates as having the same corporate job for many years, going to an office and not changing or not taking any professional/personal risks.
For me, making the decision to have a creative career happened in a very organic way. It is what I have done a large part of my life and what I am passionate about. It might sound radical, but choosing a creative lifestyle is not difficult if your need to create is as important as your need to breathe.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started studying painting when I was 4 years old in my native country, Venezuela. After a few years, I stopped my classes for a while, as I decided to focus on ballet.
While finishing the university career, my brother and I founded in 2014 CIGLART. Under the concept that technology meets art, I started experimenting with digital painting and new media art. We were involved in various projects, being the collaboration with WILDAid Foundation, the most outstanding.
After graduating as a journalist in 2015, I continued my artistic career by emigrating from the country. The constant change of places, and people around me made me realize that I no longer wanted art, (specially painting) as a part-time but as a full-time profession.
In recent years, my work focuses mostly on human forms and facial expressions. It is based on psychoanalysis, the surreal and the dream world. I deeply admire movements such as realism or hyperrealism, however I prefer to not mirror the reality in my artworks. Each project often consists of multiple works, in a range of different media, grouped around specific themes and meanings.
This year I decided to start my first clothing brand. There I combine design with my work as a visual artist. In this project I focus specifically on fabrics and how fashion can also be an agent of change. All products are eco-friendly and cruelty free. This brand is for everyone, all collections are for all genres because art is unlimited, it has no borders or divisions.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I currently live in South Florida and I would definitely invite anyone to get to know this whole area. I really love its beaches, various cities and museums. The creative and calm atmosphere that the cities have here is one of the things that I like the most.
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?
Being grateful is the greatest gift we can give to ourselves and to life itself. My family has been my anchor and believed in me since forever. I’m so grateful for my mom who past away early this year, she was my biggest cheerleader and for artists it’s so important to have that in your life because we are quitting to so many things to continue pursuing what we love and I’m forever grateful for her teachings, talent, resilience and for being my and our entire family support system along my dad.
I would like to mention how important it has been to stay grounded in a world where constantly asks you to want more and more so I’m truly grateful with the Love, Serve, Remember Foundation for the extraordinary work they do to keep what really matters alive.
Website: www.mariasanchezcollection.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariasanchezbrand/
Other: https://www.mariasanchez.art/ https://www.instagram.com/mariasanchez.art/
Image Credits
Photo #1: Cotton Production Photo #2: Anna Shvets Photo #4: Anna Shvets