BY SHALEEN DESTEFANO

Sandi Calistro creates ethereal worlds with her art. Her work pulls you in with images of beautifully haunting women, wild nature, and layers of symbolism that feel deeply personal and at the same time, relatable. Based in Denver, she has spent years shaping the city’s creative landscape through painting, murals, and tattooing, all while staying unmistakably true to her own voice. There’s something fearless and tender about her art, it feels like stepping into a dream that has something important to say.

Your work feels deeply intuitive and symbolic at the same time. When you begin a new piece, do you usually start with a clear vision, or does the story reveal itself as you paint?

I might be one of the most unorganized artists out there. I’ve got ideas for paintings sketched out on the back of pieces of mail and notes written down in my journal and on the notes in my phone because an idea will just come to me out of nowhere or it’ll come to me in a dream or I’ll be listening to a song and I would be so moved, I’ll have a visual of a piece of work I’d like to create. Often times I’ll just sit in front of a blank canvas and let things kind of pour out. Those have been some of my favorite pieces, but I very much enjoy both practices.

You’ve shared that drawing was a constant through a childhood marked by change. How did art become both refuge and identity for you in those early years? Did you always know you wanted to be an artist?

I never wanted to be anything else other than an artist. As soon as I started creating, other people took notice and they thought it was special and it was mine, and it was consistent. It was my identity from a very young age. I could create my own little world, no matter what was happening in my real life. I think in a way art saved me.

Women are such a powerful presence in your paintings, mysterious, strong, watchful, often otherworldly. Who are these women to you? Are they self-portraits, archetypes, ancestors, or something else entirely?

The women I paint are portraits in a way or just a reflection of deeply rooted emotion caused by hardship but with it comes power and in that way, it also represents the female connection to the earth. To me, these women are everything and a singular being all at once. The women appear strong but not without trial. My life has kind of revolved around my childhood trauma, I’ve had to sit with it and try to accept it as many of us know, that’s a never-ending road. In art I can explore the depths of these emotions and the gift of strength as a result so it makes sense that there is so much of that in my work. Nature has been a powerful healing element in this journey and I honor it in my art as well. Root systems interconnected a communication amongst all things living, a mutual respect and care for one another, we can all learn something from that. 

Ravens, bees, flowers, and elements of the natural world appear throughout your work. What draws you to these symbols, and what do they allow you to express, that words cannot?

I’ve always been so connected to a nature and I think any human can be that stops to listen. I think the majority of us have become so disconnected from the most important part of life. This place that gives us everything we need and also holds secrets and magic. It’s so sacred and beautiful. 

There’s a dreamlike quality to your paintings that feel both beautiful and slightly untamed. Are you intentionally exploring the tension between softness and strength, beauty and warning? 

I do think these narratives are thoughtful. I think these things that feel quite opposite do not exist as strongly without one another. I think it’s a common theme in my work. There’s something dark, a place that exists that the figure maybe just came from but still acknowledges its presents and power. 

You’ve worked across multiple mediums including tattooing, murals, and fine art. How has each form shaped the artist you are today?

Tattooing has up until recently been my most practiced art, so naturally the imagery is strung throughout the majority of art I make in other mediums. My tattoos have an illustrative quality and my paintings have elements of line work reminiscent with tattooing. They are very influenced by each other. Mural making has been one of the more difficult endeavors I’ve taken on. I think I am still very much in the midst of perfecting my process there and have felt so lucky to know some incredible muralists that have helped me in that journey.

Many people are drawn to art because it reflects something they can’t quite name in themselves. What do you hope viewers feel when they stand in front of your work?

I hope the folks that view my work feel the emotion I pour into each piece because I truly am just trying to depict a feeling and I think that’s why my artwork is so hard for me to explain. I think women who see my work sometimes see themselves in the character that has a sense of having overcome something that has wholly changed them. 

Denver has such a growing and evolving creative scene. How has living and creating here influenced your perspective or artistic journey?

I’ve always felt so inspired by the encouragement I’ve received living in Denver. There is such a lovely art community here and the arts are very important to the people living here. The support I’ve received living in Denver has truly made me feel like I have a voice. It’s been wonderful.

In a world that often asks women to be easily understood, your subjects seem unapologetically layered and enigmatic. How important is mystery in your work?

Mystery might be the most important part of these pieces because sometimes I don’t even know what lies beneath the imagery. There are 1 million thoughts flowing through my head when I make art, I could never fully get into the deepest depths of what it truly means in a timely manner. I think people see that it’s mysterious and dark and that’s what draws them to it. 

Where can we see your work in person and what can we expect from you in the future?

I’m happy to say I just had my first solo show with oil paints at Leon Gallery in Denver. It did however just come down and the majority of the work has sold. I do have a piece in the upcoming group show Fables and Folklore at Nanny Goat Gallery in Petaluma California opening June 7th! I’ll also be included in a couple more group shows with them. I’m hoping to keep up the momentum.

Thank you so much for sharing your story with us, Sandi. To view more of her collection and schedule your next tattoo, visit sandicalistro.com.