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© Rivera Matos C. All rights reserved 2024.

Hi, I'm Calla!

I am an illustrator and designer who enjoys creating bright and joyful art. As a designer I strive to create diverse and accessible media for young audiences. I graduated from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design with a BFA in illustration and a minor in digital media production. When I am not working on new designs you can find me crocheting, making collages and exploring antiue stores!

For opportunities, questions or inquiries please reach out to: callariveramatos@gmail.com

© Rivera Matos C. All rights reserved 2024.

The Legend of the Hummingbird

The Legend of the hummingbird is a self directed project retelling a
heart touching tale of love and lost dear to Puerto Rican culture.

© Rivera Matos C. All rights reserved 2024.

Kids Summer Collection

Ocean conservation with a bilingual (Spanish) twist!
Through numerous sea creatures and ocean motifs this collection brings a fun and
educational outlook to next season's summer apparel.

© Rivera Matos C. All rights reserved 2024.

Women's Sullivanesque Collection

For this surface design project I worked under the guidance of Kohl's art directors.
While working under their direction I had the liberty to chose one of their brands and create a summer collection for it.
I chose to design a women's apparel collection for Croft and Barrow inspired by sullivanesque architecture from Milwaukee and Chicago. Croft and Barrow is known for its timeless designs targeted at women age 35 to 55.

Sketches

© Rivera Matos C. All rights reserved 2024.

Textile Design

© Rivera Matos C. All rights reserved 2024.

Welcome to Mi Casita Criolla! Open the book and tie back the strings to reveal four rooms inspired by Puerto Rican homes.
Architectural details such as losa criolla, soles truncos and cultural decor can be found within.
This dollhouse includes three characters, two pets and a variety of accessories to play to your heart's content.

Read the full interview here!

© Rivera Matos C. All rights reserved 2024.

Research

Losa Criolla

Made out of cement “losas criolla” or creole tiles are typically found in historic homes in Puerto Rico. These tiles are also known as “losa hidráulica” which translates to hydraulic tiles due to the use of the hydraulic press in its production. They are created by mixing loose pigments, cement and water. These materials are then compressed under a hydraulic press creating what we know as a hydraulic tile.During the height of its production these tiles were manufactured in multiple factories around Puerto Rico. The most famous of these factories were: Puerto Rico Mosaicos in Yauco, La Fábrica de Mosaicos Hidráulicos “La Mayagüezana” in Mayagëz, Ponce Mosaic in Ponce, Jimenez Ribot & Co in San Juan
and La Fábrica de Mosaicos de Miramar in Santurce.

Soles Truncos

The architectural feature denominated as a “sol trunco” is a semi circular transom in the shape of a fan. This is used to provide light and ventilation to interior spaces while simultaneously serving as a decorative element. Soles truncos can range from simple shapes that can be mass produced to intricate wooden fixtures similar to leafs on a hand fan.

Home Decor

Throughout the entirety of the house cultural elements such as a vejigante mask, a pilon, a güiro and traditional antique furniture can be found. I researched historic homes on the island, took inspiration from my own friends and family's homes. The style of this house in particular is grounded on historic homes from the early XX century.

© Rivera Matos C. All rights reserved 2024.

My Process

The creation of Mi Casita Criolla required learning about different processes such as paper
engineering, laser cutting and book binding. The research for this self directed project not
only went into its visual design but its functionality.

Paper Engineering

My goal was to create an interactive book aimed at children who move or travel often.
When I first started this project I was completely unfamiliar to paper engineering and the creation of
pop-ups. I studied books such as The Elements of Pop-Up and studied pop-up books with similar structures in the library. To be able to accomplish my own pop-ups I sketched, measured and created multiple prototypes till I found the most functional pop-up mechanisms for my book.

Laser Cutting

I used a laser cutter to be able to create the precise and clean cuts in the openings above the doors, the pop-up template and the dolls that come with my book. This required me getting trained on how to use the machine and through trial and error I created the entirety of the insides of the final book.

© Rivera Matos C. All rights reserved 2024.

© Rivera Matos C. All rights reserved 2024.

© Rivera Matos C. All rights reserved 2024.

Animal Crossing Series

© Rivera Matos C. All rights reserved 2024.

Penfield Poster Competition

I worked under the creative direction of the Penfield Children's Center to create a poster design for their Annual Croquet Ball.

© Rivera Matos C. All rights reserved 2024.

© Rivera Matos C. All rights reserved 2024.

Type Alphabet Posters

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Type Posters

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© Rivera Matos C. All rights reserved 2024.

Character Explorations

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© Rivera Matos C. All rights reserved 2024.

© Rivera Matos C. All rights reserved 2024.

Petfest Poster Competition 2023 Honorable Mention

I worked under the creative direction of Fromm Petfest to create a poster for their 10th annual festival emulating the style of traditional screen printing. This poster was selected as a honorable mention and will be featured at this year's festival.

© Rivera Matos C. All rights reserved 2024.

Prospanica Event Posters

Commissioned work for the healthcare company Prospanica MKE.

© Rivera Matos C. All rights reserved 2024.

© Rivera Matos C. All rights reserved 2024.

© Rivera Matos C. All rights reserved 2024.

© Rivera Matos C. All rights reserved 2024.

Collages

© Rivera Matos C. All rights reserved 2024.