"Weaponizing Cuteness"

I stumbled upon Elizabeth's booth at the Harlingen Night Market just at the start of this year or rather hmmm before 2025 ended in December? I went twice for SURE! So perhaps it was NOVEMBER! I'm a sucker for bunnies. It was the first booth I saw and I immediately walked over to it. We started talking and my ear perked once I heard this art work was definitely created using...BLENDER. I just had to learn more and here we are. With the first official interview of 2026 featuring Elizabeth @elizabethhord

Before beginning the interview I have to ask: What have you been enjoying recently? "I recently started vending at art markets. I’ve only done it twice so far, but it’s been such a great way to get my art out there between shows and exhibitions, and to meet cool people. I definitely plan to do it more frequently in 2026." Along with any shout-outs? "Yes! Anyone into my art needs to check out my friend Chris Ferman. Although our art styles are very different, our collaborative works are some of my favorites. He makes eerie, abstract photographs, and when we work together, it adds depth to the creepiness already present in my work."

Now for the interview

For those seeing your art for the first time—walking up to your booth—how would you describe your work? As Elizabeth explains by saying "I like calling the overall aesthetic of my work creepy cute (Gurokawa), but more specifically, I say that I’m 'weaponizing cuteness.' I believe there’s a lot of hidden power in cuteness, and I use it as a form of psychological manipulation to mask darker motifs and lure people into my work—especially those who might otherwise have a disdain for things that are solely creepy." I love bunnies, but I tend to use the dog, the lamb as of recently in poetry. I have a friend who uses deer/doe in their poetry. Each of these hold their own meaning and to each their own in their works. The way these things do hide a "darker motif" is interesting especially the ways folks use it. I was drawn by the stickers at your booth - cute, but "creepy" then hearing its you and your two friends just makes it CUTER. I look forward to seeing how you use "Gurokawa" in your art to come.

Bunnies appear frequently in your work, but with a twist. How did you arrive at this imagery? "In my earlier work, the bunnies were meant to represent me—acting as a stand-in when dealing with personal topics. I was scared to put my own face into the work and permanently attach myself to certain themes. Over the last year, though, I’ve become more comfortable including both myself and the rabbit. The rabbit works well when addressing external problems, but when I’m exploring internal issues like mental health, I include both as a way of examining myself. It’s not just outward looking inward—it’s a reflection where the inward is also looking outward." The piece Elizabeth has sent is a great example of "reflection" mentioned. I can think of Alejandra @44waterlilies using their payasin makeup not only in their art work as the character named Payasin, but also having the character Narcisco. Each dealing with their own representation such as melancholy/yearning and queer identity. Only a snippet on what they have shared via their Instagram. It's the way I use dogs in my poetry - the way I write about love. Doing it over and over. It doesn't get tiring, but makes the meaning stronger I'd say. Things may appear frequently, but for a reason!

You mentioned previously that you use Blender. Can you explain your process and what you enjoy about it (I also used to use blender) as Elizabeth exclaims "I like how much customization Blender allows—textures, plug-ins, nodes, rendering—all within one program. If I were using Maya, I’d have to model there and then export everything to Adobe Substance Painter for painting, texturing, and rendering to get the look I want. Another great thing about Blender is that while it may not seem beginner-friendly at first, there are millions of tutorials online for all skill levels." Honestly, I agree. Blender does not SEEM beginner friendly, but I was using it for awhile. Making flyers with it and just using youtube to create things. Sometimes even "mistakes" while following tutorials led to cool creations on their own!

Before Blender, what medium were you working in? What drew you to it? "Before Blender, I was using Nomad for 3D sculpting—which I recommend to any beginner; it’s the best. I earned my BFA with a specialty in sculpting, and I’d been sculpting long before learning 3D programs. That background helped immensely and continues to inform my digital 3D work today." Yes, I remember looking at some of Elizabeth's prints at her booth and I had to ask "Is this Blender?" If I remember correctly. That really caught my attention especially seeing one print then seeing the same piece in a different angle. Working the blender camera was always such an annoying hassle for me. I know someone named Tony who deactivated their account recently, but he would also create artwork via Blender. It is such a cool medium. Then recently projection mapping has caught my attention too. That's a whole other beast.

Can you share any hints about what you’ll be releasing next? "There’s a specific shade of pink that’s said to make you go crazy if you’re surrounded by it for too long. I painted my entire studio that color and worked in it without a break for as long as I could as part of a live performance. I’ve been finishing the painting I worked on during that performance, so it should be out soon." Wait, I have to google this actually. Sounds wild! Hmmmmmm - I'm really curious!

Are there other mediums you’d like to explore? "Recently, I’ve been trying painting. Although I feel like I’ve been lied to—it’s not relaxing at all; it’s incredibly stressful. I miss digital layers and Ctrl + Z. But I’m still learning, and I believe improving my physical art practice will greatly impact my digital work. It’s also given me a much deeper appreciation for painting." Lol it's funny because I've heard someone else tell me this too. Switching from one medium to another. While, yes it's important to experiment, but we also lose what we have grown accustom to y'know? You got this though! There's no Ctrl + Z irl sadly.

What are your thoughts on the Valley art scene? "The Valley is incredibly important—historically and now more than ever. I’m proud to come from Brownsville and to see the art being created out of resistance. The Valley is worth fighting for, and I’m grateful to see fellow artists committed to working toward change. I’m also very lucky to be friends with artists addressing border issues, such as Michel Flores Tavizón and Enrique Alvarez."

Any final comments? "Fuck AI 'art.' Generative AI slop is becoming dangerously normalized—it’s everywhere online and now in real life too, in logos and ads, taking up space where real art should be. It’s exhausting. I crave creativity and human imperfection."