Shana Nys DambrotVictoria Cassinova’s work ranges from murals to illustration, graphic art, exquisite drawings and visceral oil paintings. Her fine graphite renderings and enchanting color sense are often in friction with unsettling, emotionally intense images — but just as often her impactful hybrid style enlivens hagiographic portraits of cultural and political figures, heroes and role models, and icons from sports and activism.
Her more personal narratives, inspired by intimate depictions of friends and family, balance her precise and lovingly crafted foundations with exuberant, disruptive elements of abstraction and fantasy. Cassinova has used her work to contribute to many social justice collaborations including Blackout for Human Rights, We Rise, Truth Initiative and more. Her solo exhibition is scheduled for Thinkspace in February of 2022.
Victoria Cassinova, Trinity
L.A. WEEKLY: What is your short answer to people who ask what your work is about?
VICTORIA CASSINOVA: The core root of my work is really just me attempting to make sense of my own life experience, the world around me, and the ease I try to carve out with my inner demons.
When is/was your current/most recent/next show?
My most recent show was with Thinkspace Projects, a group show titled Aloha, Mr. Hand at their new location. [Thinkspace will exhibit her solo show as well, in February of 2022.]
When did you first know you were an artist?
I always made things starting when I was little, experimenting with pastels, watercolor, and eventually acrylic and oil paint. But it didn’t hit until my 20’s that I knew I wanted this to be my full time career.
Victoria Cassinova, Fickle
Do you listen to music while you work? If so what?
Music is an imperative part of my creative process. I listen to a lot of Bing & Ruth piano, Four Tet, Kendrick Lamar, Grouper, SZA, Yves Tumor, Little Dragon, Nina Simone, the list goes on.
Why do you live and work in L.A., and not elsewhere?
I’ve lived here since I was 19. There’s something about the city that feels like there’s more infinite possibility here for me than anywhere else.
Instagram: @vcassinova
Victoria Cassinova, Theory Is
Victoria Cassinova, Maya Angelou Community High School Mural with Branded Arts and LAUSD
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