Sheila Clemente-Zoto, 22, knew she was an artist ever since she was a little girl. Growing up in the Garden City neighborhood on the west side of Indianapolis, she made traditional shakira jewelry with her artisan father. She developed a passion for making beautiful objects.
“I enjoy the manual labor and the pain that can come with the making of the artwork,” she said. “It doesn’t matter how long it took; I always enjoy the end results.”
These days she lives in the Springdale neighborhood on the east side. She watches films at the Kan-Kan Cinema, goes out with her friends to try new restaurants and is about to graduate from Herron School of Art and Design with a fine arts degree that combines printmaking and photography. She is the first in her family to graduate from college.
On May 1, during First Friday at Factory Arts District, she will be showing her photographs and prints alongside other Herron graduates in a show titled “To Hold & To Have” at Aurora PhotoCenter. The show asks visitors to take a deeper look at what we think we know about ourselves.
To learn more about her work, we asked Clemente-Zoto a few questions.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Tell me about the artworks you are showing at Aurora PhotoCenter.
My photos are in relation to my mother who has taught me about herbalism. My mother’s use of plants as both medicine and substance, highlighting an intimate knowledge passed down through generations.
The other works are hand-dyed using some ingredients that come from meals that I grew up with.
What was the first time you picked up a camera like and how has your work evolved?
The first time I picked up a camera was when I was a little kid using a disposable camera or a Polaroid camera. These were easy-to-capture images. When I got into high school, I took a photography class and bought my first DSLR camera.
It was exciting working with the settings and creating my first ever fashion photoshoot when it was my senior year. It definitely made me realize that capturing images is another way to capture the moment of my life and representation.
The art show includes other artists who are also graduating. Beyond sharing the same school and age bracket, what else do you think brings together the art in the show? Are you all friends?
We have known each other since freshman year, so seeing each other grow not only as a person but finding our styles was so fascinating. We always talk about our work and help each other improve. We have been friends for a long time so after this graduation, I will deeply miss them all.
What is something you know about yourself?
I know that I am an artist. I’m a proud Mexican American artist that is not shy to represent myself. I know that I love manual labor even though it might be intense in some moments. It has definitely helped me appreciate each work in their own beauty.
What do you want people to take away from spending time with your artworks?
I hope people can know a little bit more about my culture. Representation matters. And even if it’s one person, I hope they can see that we should be proud of who we are from where we came from.
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Jennifer Delgadillo is Mirror Indy’s arts and culture editor. You can reach her at jennifer.delgadillo@mirrorindy.org.
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