Interview with Laidy Saenz as told to and edited by Kerrie Kemperman.
Laidy Saenz photo (right), credit by @lcuelenaere
Please tell us about your creative practice — what types of art are you currently making?
My artistic practice focuses on deconstructing Peruvian archeological and textile designs and reconstituting them into altered patterns. I frequently use 3-D printing and laser-cutting technology to cut and mix materials. This act juxtaposes intimate, ancient iconographies with sterile, modern materials such as metal and glass. This way, I can re-interpret time and space as a hybrid, non-linear, and reimagine designs in a new context.
I frequently work in wearables, painting, video, and installation.
What are your favorite materials to work with, or themes that find their way into your art?
I frequently work with textiles, recycled materials, paint, and technological means such as video, sound, or design software. Themes of hybrid identities and memory find themselves in my work.
When did you first discover your interest in sculpture and 3-D printing? Was there someone that was important in getting you on your way? Or an artist that influenced or inspires your work?
During my studies at SMFA at Tufts, I took a digital design class taught by a professor from RISD and fell in love, and it continues to inform my artistic practice to this day.
Tell us a bit about your background both in a general and artistic sense.
I am originally from Peru and have spent most of my life in Boston. I worked in business consulting for several years and then moved to art and design and got an MFA from the SMFA at Tufts University in 2019 with a certification concentration in Museum Studies.
Please describe what you do at the Somerville Museum. Do you find that your work there ever influences your own art practice?
I work in marketing and exhibition planning and design. One of the highlights of my work at the Museum has been getting to know the diverse Somerville community.
Yes, conversations about our curatorial projects have influenced my research whether related to immigration, climate change, or hearing from a specific Somerville group through our Voices of Somerville programming.
What’s one of your favorite places in Somerville (restaurant, park, shop, etc.) and why?
Machu Picchu restaurant right on Somerville Ave. I frequently have a déjà vu experience when I go there; the music, food, and "Inca Kola" soda I grew up drinking transport me back home.
Instagram Link: @laidysaenz_studio
More Artists of the Month from 2022
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About the Artist of the Month
This program is inspired by the Nave Gallery’s “Featured Artist” program, which ran from 2005 to 2009.
SAC’s Artist of the Month program is a way for us to celebrate the enormous wealth of talent in our city, by shining a spotlight on a different creative Somervillian each month.
This program has been put together by a whole raft of people: Coordinators Jenn Harrington (2013-2014) and Kellie Veiga (2013), Gilmore Tammy (2017) and Somerville Arts Council board members Matt Kaliner, Tim Devin, Valeria Amato, and Michael J. Epstein, Bill House (2019-2020), Charan Devereaux (2019-2025), Tori Weston (2019-2025) and Andrea Read (2022-2025). Current coordinators, are Kerrie Kemperman (2019-), Seth Garcia (2025-), and Ben Cuba (2026-).
Know of a great Somerville based artist who should be recognized, please nominate the artist for consideration. We seek artists who contribute to the community through their strong work and community collaborations. Artist should either reside in the City or contribute to the City’s vibrant art scene.