Dora Piña-Joffroy Interview

Dora Piña-Joffroy | @le_collagerie

Tell us a bit about yourself. Who you are, where you're from and what you do!

My name is Dora Piña-Joffroy- I am a first time mom, proud wife, Chief of Staff & People Lead by day and collage artist / curator the rest of the time.

(Le Collagerie)! I am originally from a small border town with Mexico - Nogales, Arizona but have lived in San Francisco, California for the last 12 years. Living in San Francisco has provided me access to incredible museums, galleries, artists as well as access to nature and adventures.

How did you get your start as an artist?

When I was a young girl ~5, I was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome. My neurologist encouraged my parents to get me involved in activities that would help me release trapped energy/stress/anxiety & channel it in creative ways. They immediately got me involved in the arts, music and sports.
I was very drawn to art, specifically collage art, because I loved the idea of giving discarded objects new opportunities in life. I also found cutting images out of my mothers extensive fashion & design magazines extremely soothing which in turn helped decrease my tics. I could cut for hours on end with the win-win creating works of art that brought my fulfillment into my world.

“The second I sit down to create a collage or immerse myself in nature life starts to look and feel much brighter and motivating.”

— Dora Piña-Joffroy

What do you love most about what you do?

I love to build and create in all aspects of my life; whether it be the fashion editorials that live within my mind that I turn into collages, to the teams I build at work, the relationships I build throughout my journey.

What do you find the most challenging?

If I answer this question solely through the lens of a collage artist, I find that many people do not consider collage a form of art and that is challenging especially when trying to build awareness and appreciation for my craft. The collages I create take days if not weeks to complete- they require so much attention to detail, curation and assemblage as I am working with hundreds of magazine clippings to create everything you see in my work.

If I answer this question through a broader lens, currently what I find most challenging is what we see in the media. It is so hard to distinguish what is real and authentic, this includes followers and audiences one hopes to build throughout their journey as an artist. My hope is to continue to build an organic audience for my work, one that truly appreciates the craftsmanship that goes into creating my art.

When things get tough, where do you find the inspiration to keep moving forward?

Art & Nature. The second I sit down to create a collage or immerse myself in nature life starts to look and feel much brighter and motivating.

Who is another artist you admire most and why?

I am obsessed with Wangechi Mutu, specifically her collage art. Her work captures important themes that continue to surface throughout society today, examples include the fight against inequality and the lingering effects of globalization and consumerism as well as violence and misrepresentation afflicting contemporary women. A childhood friend gifted my daughter a children's book Wangechi wrote and illustrated called "What do you see?" and she absolutely loves it!

What is an art supply or collage tool that you cannot live without?

Magazines for without them my art would not exist.

Podcast you can’t get enough of?

Table Manners with Jesse & Lennie Ware.
Food, family and humor are all things that bring my life so much fulfillment. This podcast embodies all of that and more!

On Purpose with Jay Shetty - specifically the episodes that focus on expectations surrounding relationships and partnerships - very enlightening.

How do you fuel for the day?

Gratitude & Movement: every morning I start my day by taking note of 3 things I am grateful for. I then follow that with some sort of movement to get my blood flowing and creativity going.

“I love to build and create in all aspects of my life; whether it be the fashion editorials that live within my mind that I turn into collages, to the teams I build at work, the relationships I build throughout my journey.”

— Dora Piña-Joffroy

Tell us about your vision for the future? Go big! We want to root you on!

I want to continue to pave the way for other collage artists and continue to drive meaningful impact. I would also love to exhibit my work more in galleries so people can experience my work in real life vs online- the amount of detail you find when coming face to face with my collages is so vast and special.

Dora Piña-Joffroy

Instagram: @le_collagerie
Website: www.le-collagerie.com