Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria Ojeda.
Hi Victoria, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started to paint as a creative outlet for the trauma that I endured in my childhood. It helped me deal with certain painful experiences by turning my hardship into something meaningful. I began writing my now-published poetry book when I graduated high school and just now published it nine years later. In my book, I include original artwork, poetry, and photography of mine. I wanted to extend my artwork beyond that of my poetry though, which is why I started Sunflower Ln Designs, my artwork takes inspiration from social, political, and cultural issues. In my work, I use a retro theme with bright, contrasted colors to grab the public’s attention. Seventies and Eighties color schemes are my favorite to work with because the colors are bold, just like the messages I am trying to get across. I have every hope that my artwork will one day spark a change in this world that is so desperately needed.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I found it extremely hard at times to pursue my passion as an artist, especially when working a full-time job at the same time. There were years when I barely painted at all. Money has always been a constant struggle for my family and I since I was young, and pursuing an art career just didn’t seem realistic. It wasn’t until I was laid off for the first time during the start of the covid pandemic that I finally got serious about my art and writing again. Even then, though, I soon found another full-time job that I devoted all my time to. Just at the beginning of this year, however, I was laid off again, and I did a lot of soul-searching. I realized that nothing in this life is permanent, and why should I continue to give these large companies so many hours of my life when they could just lay me off in one random moment. I decided I was going to try to build something for myself, and I have with Sunflower Ln. Even if I never become a famous artist, I will know that I gave my all to pursuing my passion and that is more than enough.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I use my art to express my feelings about certain political and social issues as well as just to have fun. I use acrylic paint and acrylic paint markers in bright colors to convey bold messages. I believe what sets my art apart is the retro style that I incorporate. It’s almost like pop art but not quite. A lot of my artwork brings to light women’s rights issues, and I find it fitting to use seventies color schemes to express these as that was the era that brought about so much change in the feminist movement. I truly believe that the war we fought as women then is not over, and as my artwork conveys it is up to us to stop history from repeating itself.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I grew up in a conservative Catholic household and as such always blindly believed in the views that were taught to me by my family. As I grew older, I learned that I had different views and consider myself more liberal, and still question my faith at times. Writing this interview itself is a risk as I believe that I may offend a few family members. However, I am no stranger to adversity, and I think it’s okay to have a difference of opinion at times. My art reflects my opinions on these matters as well as my poetry. It’s definitely a risk to express yourself politically in any form, but I believe that it is important to take a stand for matters that you truly believe in. Sunflower Ln Designs main purpose is to spark a change in the world after all, and you can’t make change without a little risk.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SunflowerLn?ref=seller-platform-mcnav
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunflowerlndesigns/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069934956848
