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Marigold Santos, Artist – Calgary

Marigold Santos pursues an inter-disciplinary art practice involving drawn, painted, and printed works, sculpture, tattooing, and sound. Her work explores self-hood and identity that embraces multiplicity, fragmentation, and empowerment as informed by diasporic experiences. She holds a BFA from the University of Calgary and an MFA from Concordia University. As a recipient of grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and the Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec, she continues to exhibit widely across Canada. Her exhibition the pace and rhythm of time, floating / ang tulin at kumpas ng oras, lumulutang is on display at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery Maansiksikaitsitapiitsinikssin until April 23.

  1. Mental health

Something I have always been mindful of, but even more so now that I have more commitments and responsibilities to myself and to my loved ones who I care for and care for me. I value being open about mental wellness and disorders to normalize and humanize these experiences, and upholding care for each other and ourselves as a sustainable act of decolonizing. Here is a painting I made while reflecting on post-partum mental health.

  1. Studio

Time is of the essence when I am at the studio, and I am grateful for every second I am there. Thankful always for a space that I feel comfortable in to enact my creative agency. It is where my painting and drawing practice meets my tattoo practice, and the visitors who I host in this space can feel welcome and cared for. I love the light at 2pm.

  1. Baby time

Seventeen months ago I gave birth to an amazing little human. I went back to the studio full-time at three months post-partum, and I brought my baby with me almost every day until he started daycare at ten months old. Every day we learn together and grow together, and I can’t wait to spend every moment we can with him. My Hit List would not be complete without Mazzy!

  1. Flash ink drawing

Tattooing has brought me so much joy and has enriched my overall practice in ways I could never have imagined. Sitting down to draw up flash and inking them with a tiny brush is the best meditation. Clients are drawn to flash designs and choose them based on their instincts, which is really special, and also makes things easy! They are only done once, unless I indicate they are an edition or are repeatable.

  1. Plantain chips

Any brand will do! Give me the salt and the crunch, and I am happy. My current snack of choice.

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