Centro Ambulando: Interview with Guatemalan-Salvadoran Artist Kiara Machado

As I was checking my Instagram stream back in February of 2018, I came across an image that absolutely captivated me: it was a vibrantly colorful portrait of a Guatemalan doll, like the kind I had seen as a child selling in markets in El Salvador as a muñeca chapina (not to be confused with the smaller, and admittedly cuter, quitapenas, so-called “worry dolls.”) I stared at the image for quite some time, soaking in the gorgeous purples and pinks of the pattern on the doll’s refajo, contrasted by the deep greens of the foliage, and the yellow-green of the nardos, ready to blossom. There was an air of familiarity in the image, like a memory of lost childhood in Central America. Perhaps I was less remembering my own life, and more channeling someone else’s. As I ruminated over the haunting stare of the doll, I wondered, why was she hiding behind the foliage? What was she witnessing with those eyes that never close? I began to feel a profound sense of sadness, of loss. The painting was triggering that pesky trauma that all us children of genocide and war carry inside us. This painting was a still-life unlike any I had seen before. Who was this artist?

In March of 2018, I got my chance to meet finally meet the artist, Kiara Aileen Machado. She, along with fellow artist, Nicaraguan photographer Tanya Flores Hodgson, held a joint exhibition as Central American artists titled Quiubo Maje at their school, Cal State Long Beach–perhaps the first time that institution had ever held such an event. After a lengthy 45-minute drive from Pasadena, I got to the exhibition and was met with a cheerful and amicable young woman in her early 20s, along with her equally cheerful and amicable parents who were helping her set up the hors d’oeuvres** for guests: quesadilla and an assortment of Central American breads, snacks, and soda. Of course Kiara’s parents were there. No matter what we’re involved in throughout our lives, our Central American parents will always hold diversified roles as our support mechanisms, cheerleaders, and number one critics.

And so, on that Sunday late-afternoon, a usually stuffy and pretentious art gallery at an institution of higher learning, which typically housed the insipid concoctions of white artists trying to figure out how to squeeze color out of a tube of white paint, had suddenly become a most colorful Central American family affair. A safe haven for quesadilla, cumbia, and cacophonous laughter. As for the artwork? Even better in person! Check out the pieces below:

**Yes, I had to look up how to spell the damned word.

Since that exhibition in Long Beach in early 2018, it has greatly pleased me to see Kiara’s star riding high and shining bright. Her artwork has been featured in publications such as Voyage L.A. Magazine and the Los Angeles Review of Books PubLab, as well as numerous art exhibitions throughout Southern California, including most recently, at the University of Central Florida. Her large wall-sized works on canvas are also routinely presented at Central American-based conferences and community events where guests take great delight in taking selfies with them.

An Hamaca of One’s Own

Following the opening of her most recent show, Hermana Querida (July 2019), I asked Kiara if I could do a more in-depth interview her for the opening of this series. She not only agreed, but graciously invited me to visit her studio space at home. And so, on a sunny Monday afternoon, I drove out 25 minutes from my own home and visited the artist at her space of creation. At this point I should mention that I’ve seen Kiara’s parents at various Central American-themed events so many times now, that I’m basically a friend of the family. So as soon as I arrived, Kiara’s mother insisted I sit down for cafecito y cukis and catch up on life. One must never, ever, reject coffee or food from a Central American mother.

And so, Kiara’s studio space turned out to be her former bedroom. Now, imagine if one of Kiara’s paintings, full of colorful flowers, leaves, vines, weeds, and everything else that grows in the density of a rain forest, one day spontaneously combusted and exploded all over the walls. That’s pretty much what her studio/bedroom looks like.

I’m a big fan of finding the little details in images. Besides the obvious gorgeous painting on the easel, check out the torogoz wind chime behind it, along with the El Salvador sports pennant, and the quetzal key holder on the right.

Hermana Querida (2019)

This past July of 2019, Kiara debuted her latest collection titled, Hermana Querida, at Patria Coffee in Compton, CA. The visage of her sister is quite obviously the centerpiece. Unlike Kiara’s previous works, which I will cheekily refer to as her “Green Phase,” the color palette shifted from greens to magentas in this new collection, giving all the pieces the distinct feeling of having been rendered during “magic hour.” If you wish to see them for yourself, you have one week left as of the date of this article’s publishing (exhibit ends on October 26, 2019). Otherwise, enjoy the pictures below.

During the video interview embedded at the onset of this article, I asked Kiara where she sees herself in the next five years. She stated that she hopes to take her artwork outside of the United States, and in particular, to Central America. I see no reason why that won’t happen. I am genuinely excited for Kiara’s future, not only as the talented artists that she is, but also how well she will represent the Central American community in the world stage.

P.S…

As I remarked at the beginning of this article, this is the first painting of Kiara’s I ever saw and instantly fell in love with it. And so, I gladly purchased and it is now making my home office a happier and more colorful space.

To learn more about Kiara Machado, please visit her at:

Web: https://kiaraaileen.weebly.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiara_aileen_arts/?hl=en

To purchase her art: https://www.artsy.net/curatorlove/artist/kiara-aileen-machado