Celica Ledesma shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Celica, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
What I have been called to do right now is to branch out of my comfort zone and even out of my creative endeavors to pursue something I had never considered before until this past year. I find myself in a spot where I crave being more knowledgeable and at the service of others. I have always had a passion for creative projects, but also for facing and deconstructing the injustices marginalized communities continue to face. Whether it is through my art, community engagement, practices, or my career, I keep being called to figure out a way that I could do more for those who are in need and are not as privileged as I am. Yes, I am a Black intersectional woman who happens to be born in raised in Texas, but I feel as though even though I am faced with constant disappointment, fear, and challenges, I am aware that I am more than capable and willing to do more to protect those who need protection and uplift those who need to be heard.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am Celica Ledesma, a Visual Artist and Muralist based in Austin, TX. I’m originally from Houston, Texas, but I made my way to Austin in 2021 after receiving my BFA in Studio Art from Texas State University. As an Artist, my body of work consists of Oil Painting, Murals, Drawing, Performance Art, and Expanded Media. Of course, painting has been my primary medium for exploring what happens when you persevere and choose an intentional path into the unknown, while rendering Photorealistic figures within a space of Magical Realism.
Through a lens of double consciousness, my body of work invites viewers into my observational perspective of society as well as a journey of interdimensional escapism. I tend to portray my personal experiences with life’s challenges, the metaphysical, social justice, and introspection. This conceptual approach to my work evokes resilience through obstacles I face as I hold on to the desire to change the things I can no longer accept while also navigating a space as a visibly Black, intersectional woman, who was raised with the cultural influences of my Mexican American Mother and African American Father.
In 2022, I was given the opportunity to have my first Solo Show, “Through Double Consciousness,” at ArtUs Co. Gallery at The Arboretum in Austin, TX, as well as another Solo Show in 2023, “Attuned Surrender,” in Downtown Austin, thanks to OFC Creatives. Today, I am collaborating with Artist Chris Tobar to complete a Mural for Colony Park’s Pool, thanks to the Arts in Public Places department of the City of Austin. I am also still taking on other commissions, finishing up the Austin’s Career Training Program as a mentee, and preparing myself to pursue even higher education.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
The relationship I have with my mom, Ericka, is what shaped me into who I am today. I know the last time I spoke with Austin Voyage, I shared how the relationship I had with my father as a rebellious teen helped me find my voice within my art, but the fire and passion I’ve always had inside, even as a young and shy girl, had come from my mother.
Look, I am a Libra Sun, Aries Moon, and I know that the Aries Moon comes from my mother’s side of the family. Not only is she an Aries with a Cancer moon, but my maternal grandma is also an Aries with a Pisces Moon. Now, I don’t know if some of your readers know too much about astrology, but Aries placements like us tend to make sure we stand up for others or make sure we are heard. Now, with that being said, my mother, Grandma, and I also all have 12th house placements, with my moon in the 12th house, and my grandma having a psychic Pisces moon and my mother having a strong, intuitive Cancer moon. I have obviously adopted their spiritual practices and some of their belief, which is shown through my daily life and creative work. A good amount of my work explores the metaphysical and how I perceive what happens to me, and thanks to the guidance of my higher self, Devis, and my strong and courageous mother.
What’s funny is I love and am so close to my mother that I call her Earth. Her contact on all my devices is “Earth” because I always say home is wherever she is. I wish we would take care of the earth like it is our own mother because my mom has sacrificed so much for me and was still willing to give the best life she could and some. All while having my brother and me, while she was a young adult, working multiple jobs to provide for us, and while pursuing numerous degrees!
I know a lot of people are not as lucky to have someone as supportive and divine as she is, but she was the first person to allow me to be me. The first person to understand where I was coming from, to understand my hurt or frustration, to hear and see me. Growing up, I remember I would have to tell her to calm down or cool off from going off on someone, but in return, she would help me speak up for myself or to have a backbone. Now you could probably see why a Libra like me was given to her so that we could balance each other out. haha.
But yes, my mom is truly my hero and has influenced me in such a positive way. I aspire to be as strong, independent, and self-sufficient as she is because, with the odds that were given to her, she made my dreams come true and still strives to keep me up even when I feel defeated and want to throw in the towel. I can not wait to see what else Earth has to offer to this world.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
I want to give up all the time. I am often amazed that I make it through my challenges most times. It wasn’t until I had a therapist whom I shared all my struggles with and her pinpointing out that I was actually resilient that I started to tackle my problems differently. It was actually the first time someone said the word resilient to me. It sticks with me till this day, and when I just really want to give up, that word just whispers back to me, and then I would think to myself, man, if I manifested all these opportunities for myself, why am I whining about the problems that may come with it instead of facing them?
The past three years, I had faced a good amount of obstacles that had me wanting to quit. I already struggle a bit with anxiety and depression, so it is difficult for me to want to stay present or determined when the world is constantly praying for my downfall and tells me I don’t belong. So, those reminders are always there, but on top of that, I had to deal with numerous letdowns the past couple of years. I was in a car accident right before my second solo show and had lost my main reliable form of transportation, I had lost my minimum wage job due to an on-the-job injury, and then had two men and one organization’s president scam me out of my mural work after very long and labor-intensive hours, where I was essentially deteriorating to meet these clients demands just for them to turn around and breach contracts, and not actually have the money to afford my services, as they bragged and showcased my work to their patrons.
From these very unfortunate obstacles, I felt like what else could I do? I felt helpless, like an idiot for trusting these people. I felt stuck, stagnant, and embarrassed for a while. Just frozen with the fact that there are people who will use you as an artist and discard you like it’s nothing, whether their intentions were good or not. There are people out there who will take advantage and have no mercy on you… But the words “be resilient” crept back into my head, and then the support from my mom came in, and even though I faced these hardships, I asked myself, “What could I learn from this? What is my blind spot? How can I have a better relationship with clients? And how could I make sure I protect myself as an artist so that something like this can never happen again?”
All I can say is, I’ve vowed to myself to become more knowledgeable and professional, and I took action. Overall, what I recommend is that if you are an artist, create your own contract with clients, read contracts thoroughly, and get in touch with an attorney.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
Absolutely, I feel like being an artist in this day and age is very interesting. I am someone who has been on the internet for a long time, and in addition to how I present myself in public, online, and in person, I try my best to be authentic with who I am. As someone who has a public account on almost all social media platforms, I love sharing things about my personal life alongside any work I create or participate in.
For a while, I wondered if it was overwhelming to my followers, peers, and supporters, if what I share is overwhelming, or if they followed me for just one side of me, whether its for me, my art, astrology post, or activism, but at the end of the day, I realized people follow you for YOU and it is YOUR platform. If anyone is a fan, follower, or supporter of mine, or even a client, they should understand the type of artist and person I am. I always encourage clients to even research me so that they can know what type of artist they are working with. With social media, people have a chance to connect, relate, and get to know who they are interacting with or working with, and I think that is great.
Every once in a while, I have to deal with online scammers like pages pretending to be me or stealing my work, but luckily, I make sure I watermark everything, search my name here and there to find these accounts, and just try to be careful, but yes Overall, how I present myself to anyone will always be authentic, genuine and maybe even a little too real. I also try to be as authentic as I can as well so that it can help make sure users do not compare themselves to others. I also think some people do not realize that if it wasn’t for my extremely supportive family, close friends, and my more than supportive boyfriend Ian, I would be even more of a “Starving Artist”.
For example, I have friends tell me all the time that it seems like I really have my life together, or “I’m poppin”, or I appear very successful, and those statements really makes me laughs because I am constantly trying to make ends meet, thinking about how I’m going to pay the next bill or sometimes skipping meals but I guess in a way the fact that I am prioritzing my happiness and whatever goal I am setting out for myself is executed is perceived as being successful. To be honest, a lot of artists need more support than people think, especially as full-time Artists. Some people do not understand that we struggle to make a living and to sustain ourselves through art and if being a full-time artist is truly easy then everyone would do it, but instead, people, more so, take advantage of us because they think we just need expsoure or do not truly value the Arts because they think we only make art because it fun. No, most of us make art because it is how we survive, it is what makes life worth living, and some of us would not even want to be here if it were not for art.
We should be showing artists love while their alive, and every person should be prioritizing not only their duty but also their happiness as well. If you have a dream, it should be realized. I know when it comes to parasocial relationships, it may seem like I got my life and career figured out, but I say I think I have a lot more to learn, do, and I am very open about that.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What light inside you have you been dimming?
The fire that burns inside me. Going back to my passions, I have a good amount of them, and so far, it feels like I’ve been honing it on just one for a minute, which is expressing myself through my art practice, but the light that had been dimmed for a while is just allowing myself to be unapologetic and stern. I’ve let a lot of things just roll over and crush me. As much as I advocate for others, I hope to advocate for myself more confidently without shame, guilt, or regret. I hope to inspire others not to be complicit in disrespect or neglect. Let your light shine bright, and don’t waste your energy on anything that does not serve your vision because this is your life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://celicaledesma.com
- Instagram: @celica_ledesma
Image Credits
Photographer: Ian Rojas, Chris Tobar, Rudi Devino
