Today we’d like to introduce you to Sabrina Apostol
Hi Sabrina, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I guess I would say that my story begins with my family. I am the daughter and granddaughter of Mexican immigrants, and my earliest memories actually revolve around school. My mom and paternal grandmother are two women in my life that have always told my siblings and I of how they craved to learn, despite their lack of access. My mom tells stories of when she would go on strike against her parents, because they would pull her out of school so she could help them work in the fields. Because of this, learning became the heart of my identity at a fairly young age. I would say that this part of my life has never waned, because I remain to have the same level of curiosity and nosiness about the world that I did when I was small.
I did enjoy being creative as a kid, but I don’t think I ever viewed it as a large part of my life until I was almost finished with high school. When I was about 16, I had a partner that loved painting and drawing, and I remember buying a bunch of art supplies so that we could paint together. It was definitely in these moments that I realized how profoundly cathartic art was, and how much I enjoyed the process of using my hands to create.
Fast forward a decade and I now have a degree in art as well as a degree in neuroscience. I am endlessly curious about the brain and the ways in which our biology and behaviors interact to create the patterns of life. I am obsessed with intersections, and I would definitely say that the grey areas are where I try to make myself at home. I have always used art as a mechanism for emotional release, research, and discovery. Through my undergrad, I began exploring what it means to use art as a vessel for existing in community. This is where so much of my energy lies today.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It would be hard for me to believe that anyone would say their journey in life has all been smooth sailing. I think one of the most difficult parts of my journey, in general, has been learning how to manage my mental health while continuing to create and engage in the kind of work/life that feels nourishing to me. I am so grateful to exist in a time when the topic of mental health is much more openly discussed, but it is hard to put into words how isolating the experience can be. Culturally, looking at my wounds and taking the time to nurse them has never felt like the most “acceptable” thing to do. I grew up as a young woman that really valued the traditional version of what success looks like, because that was what I was taught would be the most barrier-breaking, and the biggest point of pride for my family and culture. When I had to drop out of college; when I had to rehabilitate; even when I began to see art as the only truly fulfilling and restorative thing in my life, I felt like I was being forced to let go of and grieve the only version of “success” that I knew existed.
It can be tiring to have to put so much of my energy into just “being”, but it has also transformed my understanding of the world in a way that I cannot be more grateful for. My idea of a fruitful life is so much wider, and I have much more patience for the difficulties of the world. My struggle with mental health also actually turned me to art. When I dropped out of college at 19, I flew home and spent every single day painting and drawing. It was the one thing in my life that felt like a relief, and it made me realize how important creating and self-expression are on a human level. I see myself as someone that values “making” and building community above all things, and I don’t ever take for granted the role that even the smallest amount of support can have in life. I’m grateful every day for the village of a family that I have, and for the ability to grow and change.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an intermedia artist, which basically means that I use a myriad of different media to create, whether that be 2D, 3D, or tech-based mediums. I have made art by welding metals, welding glass, animating, 3D modeling, drawing, painting, digitally collaging, weaving… (you get the point), because my ultimate goal has always been to give myself the ability to walk through any creative door so that I may have conversations with the people beyond those doors, and people that wish to be beyond them. I have a science background as well, so I love using art as a method of research. My favorite pieces of art are ones that the audience are supposed to touch and be a part of. I am typically creating art about family, culture, security, and grief, but I really value the concept of time and the force that it is on art, especially when the community is invited to engage.
My favorite piece I’ve ever made is probably the last one I “finished”. It is a 9ft x 2ft hand sewn sculpture of a hug. The sculpture is meant to be suspended in air and displayed next to a small printer, with a caption that says “Who/What does grief mean to you?”. I created this piece at a time when I was really thinking about my relationship to death and grief as a whole. Being from a culture that values the collective so deeply, it’s only natural that I have a gigantically sized family, and part of that experience involves witnessing a lot of death. I realized that I had gotten to a point where I could no longer cry when someone I loved passed away, and I was just really wondering how normal that experience was. I wanted this piece to be an invitation for people to think about their relationship with grief and how it manifests in their lives. When the piece is shown, the audience is invited to print a photo of who/what they equate with grief and add that photo to the underbelly of the arms. I write “finished” in quotations, because the piece becomes new and different every time it is shown, and in that way, will never be finished.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Hmm, my favorite childhood memory. The first thing that pops up for me is waking up in the morning, specifically on the weekends. My paternal grandfather lived with my family until he passed away when I was 14, and he was the goofiest old man. I have 3 other siblings, and on weekend mornings, my Papa would choose one of our rooms to come into so he could nap with us. At first, it would just be Papa talking to whoever’s room he chose to nap in, but he would eventually become so animated, telling us these fantastical, fable-like stories, that it would wake up the rest of the kids in the house. Eventually all 4 of us would end up lying in bed with Papa, laughing and listening to his stories.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sabrinaapostol.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sabpostol/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabrina-apostol/
