There are times in your life when you meet someone that you hope to be in conversation with for the rest of your life. Julia is one of those people for me. 

We met in 2020 after Julia had just completed her Master of fine arts at Columbia College Chicago. Originally from our shared hometown of Corpus Christi, Texas, Arredondo is heavily influenced by the small, family-based businesses she grew up around. Formally trained in printmaking and specializing in artistic forms of independent publishing, she founded both Vice Versa Press and Curandera Press. And in 2020, she launched, QTVC Live!, a DIY shopping network for artists and creatives, which is currently through its third season.

Julia puts it best when she says, “It’s like Art 21 meets QVC.” 

Her work speaks to the everyday objects that we hold sacred. Crosses and moons mixed with dominoes and cassette tapes, iconic symbols recast with intersecting conversations that make new meaning from old histories. I look at them as vessels of a deeply personal kind of religion. Inspired by the botánica culture and syncretic spirituality of South Texas, she focuses on the similarities of visual language in spaces of retail and worship, exploring the historical crossroads of where manufacturing and magic meet to further survey the history of selling empowerment in the United States.  

In a nutshell, “I think she makes magic.”

Learn more about Julia:

Website: https://www.juliaarredondo.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/future_juju/