Today we’d like to introduce you to Pangea Kali Virga
Hi Pangea, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a fiber artist with multiple ongoing exhibitions, a fashion designer with an eponymous clothing brand, an arts programming producer who has entertained thousands of people through community activations, an educator who has taught hundreds of students of all ages, and most recently, a film producer with an original short film. All of the fashion and art I produce is totally environmentally sustainable. It’s a lot of work, but I love it. Through my work, I am able to educate my community about sustainable practices, collaborate with many institutions I admire from historical museums to nonprofits to choreographers, and be generally expressive. My journey to this point has been self-directed, organic, and nonlinear.
As a child in NYC, I was drawn to clothing, personal style, art making, and nature—interests that have stayed with me throughout my life. My love of fashion began with my first dance recital costumes as a toddler. I was lucky to grow up in a household that encouraged art making and nature walks in local parks.
As a teenager and young adult I took formal classes in fashion design at FIT in New York City, at a vocational school. I also did a lot of artistic experimentation. I graduated from FIT with my womenswear degree in 2012. These experiences were foundational to achieving the technical skill I needed to create my work.
After graduating, I traveled through the Americas and worked on farms before settling in the Midwest. At the time I was also participating in fashion shows as a designer and co-producer, gaining experience in event production. Additionally, I styled for fashion editorials and advertisements, while my work in costume design and custom orders deepened my understanding of client relations and collaboration.
During that time, I launched my fashion line, Pangea Kali Virga, creating one-of-a-kind clothing and wearable art. I’m happy to say the brand is still going strong. The focus is on annual seasonless collections and custom orders. All of the work is fully sustainable.
A few years later, I moved back to NYC and continued to style and design while also working as head of production for a casual womenswear brand.
In 2017, I moved to Southeast Asia with my partner, and we settled in Hoi An, Vietnam, where I worked as head designer for a brand, designing collections for both womenswear and menswear. This year was extremely informative and gave me a more in-depth view of fashion production, as well as a more holistic understanding of running a business.
In December 2018, my partner and I moved to Miami for what was supposed to be a short stay for Art Week, but it has turned into a six-year adventure. Miami has allowed me to explore art making as an avenue that lets me integrate my love for planting, nature, and fashion into a singular practice. While in Miami, I have produced four fashion shows, designed four collections, costumed six productions, exhibited my fiber work in 25 exhibitions, created many series of artworks, mentored dozens of students, and led over 100 classes around South Florida.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s not always a smooth road. But it’s an interesting one with a scenic view.
One of the biggest struggles is balancing work and life. As an independent artist, I’ve been charting my own course, which inevitably comes with unexpected hurdles and, at times, burnout. Over the years, I’ve learned to balance my passion for my work with the need for rejuvenating rest and quality time with people I love. I’m fortunate to have a diverse network of friends with rich, varied experiences. Being able to call on them for guidance has been invaluable in helping me navigate challenges and get through to the other side, no matter the situation.
The other struggle is rejection. As an artist, rejection is inevitable, and learning not to take it personally has been a hard-won skill. When applying for grants or artist residencies, I know there’s always a possibility of being declined. Producing fashion shows or public arts programming involves calculated risks in budgeting and fundraising. You just have to keep going and keep building, continually trying new things, expanding on ideas, and welcoming new collaborators. If you keep at it long enough and put in the work, eventually, you get where you’re going.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I primarily create fiber art and wearable fashion from upcycled materials, such as secondhand clothing and scraps from other designers. These one-of-a-kind designs can be found at my showroom in Little River, Miami, at The Dope Lab (a boutique of independent designers on 79th Street), and online at pangeakalivirga.com. My fiber art is often exhibited around Miami, including currently at CAMP Gallery and Green Space Miami.
On a regular basis, I take the sustainable art-making skills I develop through my practice and teach them to the public. Examples of these workshops include making a collaborative quilt using natural dyeing and zero-waste practices at community sewing circles at the library system, plant weaving workshops at the Deering Estate, and making instruments out of recyclables with families at Chapman Partnerships. I’ve created large coral reef installations out of trash with Miami Beach High School students for the Bass Museum, built a monumental hanging garden from plastic water bottles with the farmers market community for Vizcaya Museum, and even hosted a dog award show of my own design where every dog was a winner in Legion Park. Sometimes, these classes are part of much larger series I produce, such as my month-long utopia-building series at the Vizcaya Museum. Some series can span years, like my mending workshops. I’m proud that almost all of these events are free and open to all ages. Being able to include others in my work, learn through teaching, and connect with my community through these events is such an honor.
In addition to this, I also mentor young adults, am currently wrapping up my first short documentary film with my collaborator Ryan Swartzlander (which will debut on December 19th), and am an artist-in-residence at the Deering Estate.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
That’s a great question. It’s hard to choose just one, but the lessons that have resonated with me include patience, the importance of research, the value of collaboration, the beauty of public participation, the drive to always improve upon your best, the ease that comes with flexibility in expectations, and the essential need for self-belief. The most important lessons are probably still to come.
Pricing:
- Much of my public programming is free and open to all ages and skill levels, and takes place throughout Miami-Dade County. You can find upcoming events at https://www.pangeakalivirga.com/press-and-news.
- My original clothing designs are priced between $90 and $2,000. You can browse and purchase these pieces at https://www.pangeakalivirga.com/shop.
- My handmade small accessories and home goods range from $20 to $300. These items are available for purchase at https://www.pangeakalivirga.com/accessories.
- My original artwork includes prints starting at $40 and quilts priced up to $20,000. A selection of these works is available at https://www.pangeakalivirga.com/art-1.
- Private workshops are priced between $500 and $1,200, depending on the group size and project. For inquiries, please visit https://www.pangeakalivirga.com/contact.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pangeakalivirga.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_pangeakalivirga
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pangeakalivirga
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@pangeakalivirga
Image Credits
headlining photo- image of Pangea Kali Virga in her Fountainhead Studio taken by Karli Evans of All Seeing Media.
Image 1- photo of Pangea Kali Virga in her Little River art studio. Photo by Pedro Portal.
Image 2-close up photo of Pangea sewing at a mending workshop. Photo from IlluminArts.
Image 3- photo of Pangea Kali Virga teaching a cyanotype class at Vizcaya Village by Christopher Rodriguez.
Image 4- photo of Pangea Kali Virga with her piece History Will Always Find You and Wrap You In Its Thousand Arms at Green Space Miami. Photo by Melody Timothee.
Image 5- photo of Pangea Kali Virga’s quilt I Watch The Illusion With Unbearable Compassion. Photo by Ryan Swartzlander with editing by Nico Hough.
Image 6- photo of Pangea Kali Virga at the finale of her first Miami On Sight fashion show production. Photo by Simon Soong.
Image 7- photo of Pangea Kali Virga’s collection, All Material Comes From The Earth. Photo by Logan Fazio with modeling by Aeon.
Image 8- photo of Pangea Kali Virga’s collection Inner Compulsion. Photo by Ryan Swartzlander of model Hailey.
