Carrying a Message for Her Community | Krissy Ramirez

Krissy Ramirez | Episode 820

Krissy Ramirez is a Mexican artist that uses her border experiences in her art. From luscious cacti to abandoned plaster walls Krissy uses graffiti to express thoughts in words written in a creative illegible language. Krissy continues to make work surrounded by graffitied trains en las montañas of Missoula, Montana.

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Do you feel it is important to carry a message through your artwork to a viewer?

Yes. The vessel represents so much and the vessel that I am choosing, the spray can, for me relates to my work in a way instead of spraying the message on the wall, the message is on the surface of the object. So trying to figure out that relationship where the vessel is holding the troubles of all of these people or even the imagery that I am putting into it.

Do you feel the weight of being a mouthpiece?

Yes, and the reason is because being a Latina ceramic artist in the middle of Missoula, Montana is way, way outside my comfort zone. And reminding people what’s happening down in the southwest can be a conversation starter.

You have rebel ware as your brand name. Why can’t you just be a good girl? (obviously joking)

No! What for. Being good is too boring now-a-days. (laughter) I think that’s why I love graffiti because graffiti doesn’t invite itself to be put into a museum. It’s all over the place. It’s for anyone to see and one of my favorite things about living in Missoula specifically it seeing all the graffiti trains and to me that’s a traveling museum. So I want my work to be able to travel.

How does art help your community specifically?

By allowing me to share my experiences as this border girl from Mexico if it wasn’t for my mom.

What is your all time comfort food?

Living in New Mexico I got spoiled with that hatch green chili, man. So I like to combine that hatch green chili and make some great green chili enchiladas and some Mexican rice. Oh my God, I am like watering right now, Paul.

Just thinking about it? (laughter)

Just thinking about it, yeah.