featured artist: mxogyny x ludmila leiva
I was born suspended between worlds—the mixed daughter of a Central American mother and a Slavic father—and my artistic work has long been a way for me to understand myself. It is an unearthing of myself that calls upon the memories of my ancestors' dreams, scattered from the backs of horses across the verdant valleys of Honduras and Guatemala, or pressed into the damp earth of WWII refugee camps in Eastern Europe.
My practice evolves with the seasons, but my work is currently focused on storytelling through both visual art and prose. No matter the medium, I use art to explore themes of femininity, objectification, isolation, and liberation. I am particularly interested in examining the ways that women of colour move through the world.
Images - MIRROR (left) SOAK (right)
These works were part of an experimental digital pastel series I called How To Be Alone. In it, I examine what it means to be alone in space as a woman, specifically what it looks like to cultivate intimacy and self-actualisation in a solitary setting.
Images - EXPAND (left) SMUDGE (right)
Given the way that womens’ bodies are scrutinised, controlled, and objectified, these images encourage the viewer to consider how intimate solitude can provide a remedy for the somatic consequences of societal hegemony, oppression, and control.
MXOGYNY X LUDI: QUESTION TIME
Mx: Tell us a little about you, your career as an artist and how gender plays into that.
Ludi: I’m a visual artist and writer! I was born in Toronto, Canada to a Guatemalan mother and a Slovak-Canadian father, but I currently split my time between Berlin and New York City. My work plays with organic shapes, exaggerated figures, and vibrant colors, and a lot of it is inspired by my Latin American heritage. My aesthetic style is constantly evolving, but there is a definite focus on femine forms in my work, and I often use my illustration and painting practice to interrogate how women and femmes move through the world. I’ve had the privilege of working with some pretty awesome clients in the past, including Samsing, Tumblr, Planned Parenthood, Vice, and Condé Nast.
Mx: Would you say feminism feeds into your art? If so, in what ways?
Ludi: Absolutely, I am both a feminist and an artist so each of these things informs the other a lot. I aim to interrogate the way women move through the world, with a focus on identity, expression, and belonging. One of the things I play with most in my work, at least recently, is the idea of taking up space, challenging the male gaze, and defining oneself by oneself, for oneself. I’d say that this is at the root of a lot of what I hope I’m able to communicate in my work; that women and femmes are autonomous, self-actualized beings existing freely and on our own terms.
Mx: For what reason do you centralise femme physiques in your illustrations?
Ludi: Because that is what I like to draw. It’s what’s on my mind. It’s how I experience the world and that’s precisely what I’m compelled to explore through my artistic practice.
Mx: Do you believe art has a role in furthering the cause of underrepresented groups (e.g women, racial or ethnic minorities, disabled communities, LGBTQ+) ?
Ludi: I think art is one of the most powerful things on this earth, and I think it has an immense potential to cut through difference and communicate to the core of our beings. I think that it particularly has a role in uplifting underrepresented groups, as well, especially because throughout most of Western art history the artists and the subjects who they depicted were incredibly homogenous, or had imperialist, misogynistic gazes that perpetuated harmful power dynamics. By creating art as an “othered” being and centering our narratives through our work, that’s a way of shifting this dynamic and helping to create a future that is more equitable and highlights more types of people as being beautiful, valid, and inherently worth exalting.
Mx: What advice would you give to other young artists who want to get their work recognised?
Ludi: Believe in yourself and the stories you have to tell. Seek out like-minded individuals to partner and collaborate with. Make sure you’re clear on your why—whatever that is for you. Take moments to work on your craft and focus on how your art makes you feel and the reasons behind your practice, try not to focus solely on your followers, likes, and other things of this nature. Sure, social media is helpful, but it’s not the only gauge. And, in those inevitable difficult times, make sure you’re surrounded by people who believe in you and can remind you that you’re capable when you have trouble remembering.
To see more of Ludi’s work, check out her website and/or follow her latest projects on Instagram.