Meet Madeline Herrera | Multidisciplinary Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Madeline Herrera and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Madeline, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Something that has value is always worth risk in my book. It’s become something I view to conquer rather than run in fear from. I’ve made it through all those difficult moments and am still here proving that ability to not just survive but flourish. I’ve learned to not just sit in the uncomfortable but reach for it in order to grow. This took me a long time to realize how crucial those moments are. In retrospect, all of those risks led me to the most fruitful breakthroughs, even when it doesn’t pan out as intended, I learned. I then know what goal is next and it validates my change in direction. Considering this is my first semester of graduate school at The University of North Texas, that in of itself was a huge risk, but necessary to move forward and push myself. Don’t be afraid to fail but if anything, that failure is a sign of your resilience in trying. I learned how important not just trying was but even the many failures among the way.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My work grapples with pain, trauma and it’s physical manifestation in the body to that of our mental state. I want to explore how these experiences carry through our life and leave a lasting impression likened to scarring of the body and mind. I currently work primarily through printmaking in which the multiple becomes more of an approach even outside of traditional printmaking processes. My practice has always expanded and looked to explore beyond one medium. There is this constant relationship of dismantling and mending through the work to capture a sense of loss and control. I’m excited to see what the future holds and how my work will change over the program, what other amazing connections I will make and narratives I will weave. This journey has been exhausting, and I’ve put all of myself into the work which I always hope peaks through. Considering how personal my work is, it’s important to me that it is genuine and honest in its confrontation, that however visceral or raw it acts as direct communication of this aftermath. Through this journey, I am very fortunate to have incredibly close friends and family members surrounding me, if not for that community I would have been lost. I don’t see my progress as linear and I certainty has faltered at times, but I think one of my strongest attributes is the ability to always get back up, I am proud of always finding my way back home. If you do anything in life, do it with your all, because even in those moments you feel most beaten something will come out of it. To create through whatever means, is the most important thing we have, whoever you are or what you do.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Coffee is essential in my daily life so hunting down quality local shops would be my first stop. Shopping local is very important to me and supporting those spaces around you in the community. I really enjoy the outdoors and with the weather finally cooling down, as much as it can in Texas, I love to take advantage of that time and go hiking. Being able to go explore places like art museums and local shops would be high on my list even if to not spend anything but just being in those spaces. It’s all about the experience for me and spending quality time with my friend at the end of the day. Since I am based in Denton, Texas currently, I would take them to the square and explore all the little shops and food areas, give them an idea of where I live and hang out most of my time.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have been shown so much love and support over the years all throughout college till even now it’s hard to summarize the impact those few close friends and family members who have truly made life worth living. I would specifically like to mention 2 artist who inspired and deeply impacted my artistic path. Rachael Bower, currently working as Art coordinator and educator at Northwest Vista College, was the catalyst in my pursue of studio arts as a career path. She saw the potential and dedication I was capable of from the beginning even when I didn’t have that foresight. I would like to highlight Sarah Fox, a San Antonio based artist and educator, as a huge inspiration in my work and source of guidance in my path to graduate school. They both are not just well-educated women, artists and teachers but amazing people in my life that I look up to and for that I am forever grateful.

Instagram: @madelineh.art

Image Credits
Anna Smith