Meet Alanis Alessandra Lara | Artist & Jeweler

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alanis Alessandra Lara and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alanis Alessandra, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I grew up between San Diego and Tijuana. A lot of my inspiration is derived from the time we spent living in Mexico, crossing back and forth all the time. My family’s always been very united specially the women. I am surrounded by such incredible women with so much character, strength, drive and just overall beautiful personalities. I look to them for advice and inspiration all the time, I could listen to them recount stories and experiences of their youth for hours. I love telling their stories and paying homage to them through my work.

My artistic narrative extends all the way to Durango, which is where my family comes from. It’s a region notable for its abundance of scorpions which tend to appear a lot in my work and other explorations. Coincidentally, in astrology, a lot of the women in my family are scorpios. This recurring motif serves as a reminder of my family’s enduring strength, individuality, and resistance. I can’t help but make work about my family or for my family. My life has always felt incredibly privileged, not because of what I’ve had physically but because of the opportunities made available to me as a result of them immigrating to the U.S. Studying, having and education, and making art is a privilege I don’t take lightly, I feel forever in debt to them for being where I am today.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I expressed an interest in the arts very early on. I think I always knew I wanted to pursue a career in the arts but wasn’t sure how viable or sustainable this path was until college. I’m currently studying Graphic Design and Jewelry and Metals at SDSU. It didn’t take much for me to realize metalsmithing is what I want to do for the rest of my life. Although I spend most of my time making jewelry now, Graphic Design lives in my heart and I see its language in various metalworking techniques. I love both practices deeply, and I am always searching for ways to bridge or fuse them in my work.

Being an artist is probably the hardest most vulnerable thing I’ve ever done but also the most rewarding. I am the first person in my family to pursue a creative career, a path full of uncertainty, not only for myself but for them as well. I’m a big believer in passion and hardwork. I think if you want it enough and you put the work first and you set yourself up for success the rest will follow. The scary part for me is pouring your heart and soul into your work and sharing it with the world. But it’s also the bravest. Artists feel so deeply, the work forces you to care. We need to care more.

I’m truly nothing if not an artist and a student at heart. There’s so much I’ve yet to learn, so much to do, so much to say. My brand isn’t fully developed yet and I need to be more vocal about the fact that everything I make is for sale. I’m really enjoying custom work right now. I love working with people to craft their own personalized pieces. I’ve thrown myself wholeheartedly into this field. I think I love jewelry so much because it’s probably one of the only mediums that utilizes the body and the world as its gallery space, it’s not necessarily fixed. I devoted my life to the arts a long time ago and I’m really excited to keep learning, establish my brand further and just keep making. That being said, reach out and let’s work!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is hard! San Diego has so many cool spots! You kind of have to go to Balboa Park and visit it’s museums, their botanical garden etc. The Museum of Contemporary Art in la Jolla is a great spot too. Beautiful beach views and tons of spots to grab a bite while you’re there. I’d probably take you to a farmer’s market too, either Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, or North Park.

For dinner, if you like Italian I’ve been loving Trattoria da Sofia. Fortunate Son in North Park is amazing as well! Have a quick meal then head over to Part Time Lover for a drink. The ambiance and music are always amazing there! Mothership and Youngblood are other good options for drinks as well.

I love a sweet treat so we’d have to finish off with gelato at An’s Dry Cleaning or Salt and Straw. Baked Bear in PB is also one of my favorites.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’m not sure I would have ever discovered my passion for metals if it weren’t for SDSU’s jewelry program. I came into the program completely terrified, knowing absolutely nothing about metalsmithing. I was met by the most wonderful group of people, faculty and students that are now some of my dearest friends. This group saw my potential far before I did and never failed to remind me of it. Through this program, I was fortunate enough to meet my current boss, mentor, or as I like to call her my “jewelry mother”, Georgina Treviño. An incredibly talented contemporary artist and jeweler who has also become a great friend. Georgina has provided me with a space to continue working and learning outside of school, not just about metals, but also industry insights you rarely learn in an academic setting. Her confidence, drive, and focus are infectious in the best way, she inspires me to work hard and always deliver my highest quality work.

Website: https://alanislara.com/

Instagram: @alanislara

Image Credits
Yaz Reve