04/04/2022
Yesenia Prieto (left) was looking to hire someone to help run her custom-piñata business in Los Angeles when Mia Baeaz (right) walked into her shop in 2016 and introduced herself.
‘I knew she was the one – there was something about her voice, demeanour, energy, I thought: this is someone who gets what we’re doing here…she might be as crazy as me,’ Yesenia recalls.
Yesenia is a third generation Piñata maker. Growing up, her family were making them in South Los Angeles in sweat-shop conditions. ‘I knew I could use my skills and create a business for myself and my family,’ she says.
Her Piñata Design Studio has been acknowledged as reinventing the craft through its intricate Piñatas, masks, and sculptural installations that have been featured in museums such as the Los Angeles County Museum and commissioned by Microsoft, Google and celebrities like Rihanna.
‘I want to elevate it as an art form – for my culture, for the next generation. Often, it’s devalued,’ Yesenia says. ‘Doing something like this, I needed to look for the right person.’
‘People think piñata making is all fun and games: it’s hard, and sometimes you cry. I told Mia that I was strict with her.’
Mia, an artist herself, recalls their first meeting when she was fresh out of high school: ‘Yesenia had strong woman vibes; she was in my mind, the Gordon Ramsey of Pinata. Little did she know I’m from a line of strong women, and I was like, we’re going to get along.’
Mia is now a co-owner, and with the two sometimes spending six days a week in their colourful studio together, they’ve become best friends, proving work and play can indeed go hand in hand. 💜🦄
Swipe right to see their beautiful creations.
🎤📷🖊
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