Angelina Salgado
I met Angelina at a weekend art show called Allstars by Start Shows, where we were both showing our work. I had my After Hours series on display, while she was presenting a collection called Auroras for Aurora. Our work was on the same wall, but we didn’t actually talk until the next day when I was recording interviews with the artists.
Angelina has a very vibrant presence. She’s charismatic, expressive, and carries an energy that naturally draws people in. The way she dresses and carries herself feels very connected to the art she makes.
When I sat down to record her interview, she shared the story behind her work. After going through in vitro fertilization, she gave birth to twin daughters. She devoted herself completely to being a mother. Unfortunately, after some time, one of her daughters passed away in her sleep.
Grief is something nobody is prepared for, and losing a child is a kind of pain that’s difficult to even imagine. In the time that followed, Angelina found herself searching for a way to process everything that had happened. Slowly, she returned to painting. What began as a small outlet eventually became something much deeper—a way to honor the memory of her daughter.
Her paintings are inspired by the Aurora Borealis, reflecting the night sky in memory of Aurora. The colors in her work are rich and saturated, almost as if pieces of the night sky were placed directly onto the canvas. Interestingly, Angelina has never actually seen the aurora in person. Instead, she imagines it while thinking about her daughter, creating her own vision of those lights.
Outside of the gallery, we ended up doing a photoshoot together inspired by the outfits she was wearing at the show. It turned out to be a really fun session. I was able to capture her excitement, her smile, and the bold fashion choices that mirror the same energy found in her artwork.
Some time after the show, Angelina told me she had been looking back at those photos. She shared that for a long time she had felt lost, but in those moments captured in the pictures, she saw something different. For the first time in a while, she saw peace. She saw a new version of herself, someone stronger and more confident after everything she had been through.
Thinking about that experience with her, I’m glad she’s been able to find her way to a better place. Everyone processes grief differently, and it’s not something people can easily understand unless they’ve lived through it themselves. What Angelina has done is transform something incredibly painful into something meaningful through her art.
She carries a quiet strength, and although that chapter of her life will always be part of her, it has also pushed her to grow and move forward in her own way.
If you ever meet Angelina without knowing her story, you probably wouldn’t guess everything she’s been through. She’s vibrant, full of life, and incredibly genuine.
Angelina is the unicorn. The GOAT.
Aurora, your mom is amazing.
