Meet Mackenzie Rae Lord | Painter & Lingerie Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mackenzie Rae Lord and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mackenzie Rae, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I have always been a creative person but fear held me back in identifying myself as an artist for most of my life. When I made the decision to get sober five years ago I instantly knew that to continue on this new path I would have to live honestly. That meant pursuing my passions as a working artist. Not only was it a choice, it is a necessity. Living in creativity makes my life better, and ultimately is a vital to my happiness.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
This body of work discusses the relation between desire, femininity, religiosity, and self-constructing. In particular, it focuses on the fact that women are being worshiped, judged, desired, and controlled. All of my pieces live in a constant struggle between these elements. Im always incorporating different aesthetics related to historical images, culture of beauty, internet culture, and personal experience.

In my opinion, Sacred Perversions is my most remarkable collection yet because it combines two very different spheres into one collection. By examining the intersection between performing for the lust of others and finding what is honest for ones self. This body of work highlights the connections between shame, longing, identity formation, etc., which are so important for many women.

As an artist who is paving her way in this world, I have faced a lot of ups and downs. As many of us do, I tried to combine creative aspirations with the necessity of earning money for living, having different jobs besides studying at university and creating. There have been many periods where creating artwork seemed to be less important than surviving financially. However, the thing that gave me enough strength to go through those periods was the awareness that creativity and life cannot be divided because they influence each other and inspire us to create.

I think that one of the main lessons I learned during my life and creative process is that you can’t rush artistic development, it takes time and perseverance to build ones voice. With that being said there will probably never be a time when you’ll feel you are completely developed as an artist, so I have to remind myself authenticity is far more valuable than perfection.

What I would like the world to know about me is what can be seen through my art. I invite my viewers to explore contradictions, its part of the human experience no one is a through line, especially not me. Through listening, reflection, and sharing we can find those connections to each other.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would start the first day off in Larchmont Village getting brunch at Great White and taking a stroll around the block. Making sure to stop off at The Scent Room, which is always such a fun and unique experience. After that we’d go to Wi spa and relax before spending the night getting Korean BBQ and doing karaoke.
The next day we’d head to Malibu and do a hike before hitting the beach making sure to drive through Topanga Canyon and hit some of the vintage clothing stores.
The following day id make sure we head down to Venice Beach spending time on the boardwalk and windward circle looking at shops and showing her all the secret old ads, beautiful street art and graffiti. Definitely getting lunch at Moa’s Kitchen and making sure to stop at Ciao Cherub which has some of the best vintage pieces in LA. Just around sunset we’d rent some roller skates and skate the bike path, maybe skating past a random drum circle. After that we’d finish off our night with dinner at Holy Basil with some of the best Thai food around.
The next day I’d definitely take her down to Santee Alley, which is such an iconic part of DTLA. We’d have to grab a bacon wrapped hot dog, no doubt! Then walk around exploring all the fun shops in the area. Then heading over to Grand Central Market to try a bunch of different food.
The final day I’d take her to Palos Verdes and we’d hike down to Abalone Cove. Where we would swim and explore the tide pools. On our way home we’d stop at Fishing with Dynamite in Manhattan beach and get a fantastic seafood filled early dinner.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
As cheesy as it sounds I owe so much of how i think and observe the world to my mom. My mom has always been such a creative person, and is always seeking out new art. My childhood was filled with art, whether it be creating or appreciating. One of my earliest memories was being a young child and my mom bringing me with her to art book stores. She would set me up in a little corner with several books to look through while she herself looked through the neighboring shelves seeking more to add to her collection. The experience of seeing all these great works of art made me want to create more and more, her encouraging me at every step of the way.

Website: https://www.mackenzieraelord.art/

Instagram: @PSEUDONYM.LORD