Issis Macias is a self-taught artist based in Madison, Wisconsin. Born in Los Angeles, California to Mexican immigrants, her creative journey is deeply rooted in the community and the diverse array of artists she has encountered throughout her life. In 2020, amid the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, Macias navigated a major career shift and the transformative experience of becoming a new mother. During this time, she turned to painting with renewed purpose—using creativity as a way to process change, find healing, and reinvent herself.
Working primarily with acrylic and oil pastels, Macias depicts life experiences, both beautiful and complex, in dynamic, colorful forms and unexpected markings transforming deeply personal themes into universal expressions. Through intuitive abstraction, she invites viewers into a sanctuary of introspection and emotional connection. Macias maintains strong creative ties to Los Angeles through artistic collaborations.?
Macias was named the 2025 Latina Artist of the Year and, in 2024, received the Micaela Salinas Artist Fellowship, sponsored by Latinos Organizing for Understanding and Development. She is also a 2023–2025 Bridge Work artist at Arts + Literature Laboratory, a 2023 Forward Art Prize finalist through the Women Artists Forward Fund, and a member of the Madison Art Guild. Her work is held in private collections across the United States, Mexico, and Europe.
StateWI
CountryUnited States
