Be Proud Be Authentic

Hello Diana, can you tell us a little about your entry to the world of art, when did you decide to take that road?

My parents were very passionate about what they did, my mother was a kindergarden teacher, and my father was a graphic designer, so I was in touch with design, and with creativity as a tool from a very early age. At first I wanted to be an opera singer and actress, but as time went on I decided to go into visual arts, I never saw myself in any place that didn't have to do with creating...

What is most important to you when you embark in a performance or collaboration?

CONNECTION! When I collaborate with someone I always look for that connection that leads me to creating: "The passion!".

Why have you agreed to do this collaboration with Casa Po’ma?

 Because I love that it is an honest and passionate project, I love that there is emphasis on the artisans' work and an effort to put a face to them and to give them a voice. The purity of the garments, their texture, their fit on my body....I loved it!

What do femininity and sensuality represent to you?

 I think neither is gender exclusive anymore...but they are the freedom to feel in touch with yourself and to convey things from your body, it's the very essence of every body, and the balance between vulnerability and the subtlety of every being...it's revolution!

What advice would you give yourself 15 years ago, as a woman?

 To follow my own instincts, you are doing well, and will continue to do so, everything is perfect even in life's imperfection, enjoy it and don't be afraid. 

What is the main topic in your art?

It may sound narcissistic but....IT'S ME! I create from myself and for myself, my work is part of how I survive in this world, it's what feeds me, what sustains me, what loves me, what gives to me and is always there, it is the infinite form of my existence and witness to my passing through this world. 

What is the greatest challenge for you as a female artist in Mexico, and how did you overcome it?

 I think my greatest challenge has always been to break with the standards set in my family history, and that is precisely what I search for in my work, to reconstruct myself daily, it takes fighting many fears and trying to live every day as light-heartedly s a possible...knowing myself to be a free, prejudice-free woman is my everyday mantra

 What do you like most about your country, Mexico?

 I love being Mexican, I love everything about my land, its flavors, its colors, its history,  its magic; that here everything is possible. 

We are living in highly virtualized times, where there is little room for connection with the basic human senses, how do you Santísima Kitsch feel about all this?

The virtual world has been a window to the world, it has allowed us better visibility but it has also made us fall into the jaws of immediacy and appearance, I see myself as coming from a different line in terms of conception since I am from another generation. You could say I feel a resistance to fall into those jaws even though they flirt with me often...I recognize however that the new generations have developed their senses differently, there are new ways of being someone and somewhere and I wouldn't say that it is better or worse, it is just part of this big show called world, universe, society!

Diana, do you consider resilience to be a part of your mantra?

Resilience has been a matter of instinct in my life... As artists we need to be very alert to change, we must have  strategies to navigate this sea of circumstance in which it seems we swim against the social current... We now know resilience to be a great tool for those of us who want to change our own path...it is a tool gifted to us by our changing nature.... We must get to know ourselves and we will find life not to be lineal, that we need white as much as we do black, and all the array of colors in our life.

What is your connection with the world of art crafts, and how do you feel about wearing a unique garment?

I studied in the school of Artcrafts in the INBA, so you could say I am an artisan as well, I have always been very close to that way of working, my education was in a workshop, and you will find I design and make my own wardrobe and props, "to be an artist one needs to be a good craftsman"

 What is the overall message you would like to leave behind with your work?

 That everything is possible despite our own personal history, that life is beautiful and that we can all create our own individual world inside this one, that there are no limits and we should all feel unique and one of a kind, because that is the way it is!