Mia Calderone

I’ve been a great admirer of Mia Calderone since the first time I saw her work. Her mother is American and her father is Puerto Rican and her exposure to these two different cultures has greatly influenced her work. She’s a freshman at Minneapolis College of Art and Design with a major in illustration and has already been featured in 7 exhibitions. 

She has a distinct style and enviable ability to constantly churn out work extremely detailed, sometimes very disturbing, and always interesting, work. Themes in her work include her disgust with men and their view of sexuality paired with understanding the self. Interestingly, she doesn't include a self-portrait in her body of work. A defining trait in her work is her use of oversize hands, which she says she believes is a result of her early introduction to art through Catholicism. 'the first pieces of art that I came into contact with and would stare at for hours were the paintings and sculptures in the church... In catholic paintings, the hands are the most important aspect. All of the emotion is brought forth in them.'

 Sterile Ground, 2009

The Cycle, 2010

Hair and Ribs, 2008