Meet Angelica Yudasto | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Angelica Yudasto and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Angelica, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
Embrace the unknown. For me and my studio practice, it’s important that I flirt with uncertainty and questioning. If I start to feel too comfortable with the moves I make then I start to dislike the work since it would feel too formulaic or predictable. The scary part about befriending my doubts is not knowing where it would take me. On the other hand, play and experimentation is very important to me. I find that I’d rather get into that mindset of letting go and trust that no matter what it would lead me into new discoveries. I think that’s the secret to never getting bored in the studio, or in life.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My works deal with modes of self reflection and body identity using glass and digital prints on silk. Lately, I’ve been continuing a series of drawings on glass using a technique called kiln-forming.
I grew up in Jakarta, raised by an Indonesian father and Peruvian mother before immigrating to Miami at the age of 9. I was diagnosed with scoliosis shortly after and had to wear a back brace for five years. The constriction of wearing a heavy object made me very self conscious and it fed my initial fascination with the body and how inner anxieties can affect and distort memories. For me, memories and change come hand in hand, much like the fluidity of water. I think that’s what drew me to glass in the first place. I fell in love with its translucency and malleability. Glass can be seen as fragile and yet contains this incredible ability to change shape when melted on the torch. This idea translated into my jewelry brand, de Yudasto, which I started last year. A lot of the forms I make in glass are suggestive of ripples in the water or waves.
I find that weaving in and out of both worlds, as jewelry maker and artist, can be pretty challenging since they require different modes of thinking. Ultimately, I see dialogue between the two and the oscillation feels natural to me. It keeps things fresh and exciting.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m pretty partial to Brooklyn for its charm so naturally it would be mostly hanging around there. I’d first take them to this cute little spot called Maya Congee in Bedstuy. Their breakfast bowls are delicious and they serve black sesame lattes. After that, we’d do a gallery hop in the city with my shiba inu, Momo. I’d end the day watching the sunset at Bush Terminal Park by the water. I love it since it’s pretty secluded and its still one of the only spots that isn’t overrun by tourists. Dinner would be at my favorite Indonesian restaurant called Java in park slope. To close out the night, I’d suggest Cassette for good cocktails or Ornithology Jazz Club.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to give a shoutout to my good friend, Diana Guerra. She is an incredibly talented Peruvian artist and photographer. We met when she curated me into a group show she organized a few years ago called ‘Que Prosiga’, featuring artists of latine backgrounds. Diana has been incredibly generous in bringing me into her community and network of other Peruvian artists in New York. She has even photographed both my art and glass jewelry. Her support encouraged me to launch my jewelry brand and gave me the courage to simultaneously continue my fine art practice. I couldn’t have do it without her continued support.

Website: www.angelicayudasto.com ; www.deyudasto.com

Instagram: ayudasto ; deyudasto

Image Credits
Grace Shine Jeon

Diana Michi

Diana Guerra

Stephanie Furtun