Today we’d like to introduce you to Pollyanna Fernandez
Hi Pollyanna, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m a Cuban artist based in Miami, Florida. I graduated from San Alejandro fine arts academy and the Instituto Superior de Arte ( ISA) in Habana city. Before immigrating to US in 2010, I lived and worked as a studio artist and my work has been shown in several areas- Cuba, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, Austria and the United States. In addition, I have taught Printmaking at the San Alejandro Fine Arts Academy and was honored to served as the Main Specialist at the renowned Taller Experimental de Gráfica in Habana.
My practice encompasses a wide range of mediums such as Drawing, Printmaking, Painting, Mixed Media and in the most recent years, I have incorporated Tattooing to my creative experience.
I got my own first tattoos when I was very young. I was attracted to this form of body art, the mutual exchange, the ritual process, the living canvas concept and the many creative possibilities the technique offers. I found it challenging, unique and thought, “I want to try it myself”.
After many years living in the US, my head was already boiling with the idea of tattooing.
A bit before COVID hit the world in the year 2020, I found myself with lots of spare time and figured it was a good moment to really go for it. I completed an apprenticeship at Major League Tattoos- a studio that has stood in Hialeah for over 10 years. I got my license and been working as a professional Tattoo artist at the same studio since then.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I was born in an Island, to an oppressive system and dictatorship. Most of my life I have lived surrounded by political, social and economical crisis. Creativity, individuality, self expression, new ideas, traveling, spirituality, access to information, among others, are forms of freedom constantly repressed by the Cuban government.
Since very young I was committed to pursue my goals and with the incredible support from my parents, in spite of the difficulties, I made my way through creativity and fought for my education.
It’s been a challenging journey. It’s important for me to keep a balance and embrace change to be able to continue my creative process, and living abroad allowed me to expand my possibilities but on the other hand, I had to accept and overcome the separation from loved ones; some I would never be able to see again.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m specialize in Printmaking with an emphasis on Calcography and Lithography, but I’m always open to introducing a variety of mediums into my body of work.
As an artist, I’m excited about discovery. I choose to deviate from traditional processes while reinventing the meanings, recycling traces and surfaces, and introducing a new type of significance to the matter and materials at hand.
I reflect about the process of creating and destroying, seeking conceptual solutions while also exploring the impact of degradation and the potential of transformation.
As I get deeper and more oriented towards the new tattoo trend, I feel curious about the creative possibilities. I work with innovative concepts from a more informal approach and to better support my ideas, I prefer techniques such as Blast Overs, Cover Ups, Freehands, Black Work, Improvisation and Collage. I create original pieces and develop custom projects.
Besides, I’d like to mention I’ve been vegan for many years, and for the first time I have created a serie of designs in order to help support animal rights and help raise awareness through clothing. For the release of this project, I have teamed up with an online shop known as Plant Babes. The link can be found in my Instagram Bio.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I believe luck goes along with spiritual development and attitude. I think it is about being able to find, attract and create good situations for myself.
In my experience, I’ve understood I can’t control all situations; practicing discipline and consistency has been the proven method that has brought lots of good to me. Staying focused on my purpose while keeping an open mind allows me to be better alert to avoid unwanted circumstances, personally and professionally I feel lucky for my family, friends and their support, and for every pitfall in my path because I have learned a lesson each time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.majorleaguetattoos.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pollyanna_fernandez
- Other: [email protected]
