Maria Servellón ’12:
LIVING IN THE
By Vanessa Chatterley
An independent filmmaker explores self-identities that bridge cultures.
Whether it’s through film, drawing, music, theater, or dance, Maria Servellón ’12 has always been creating art in one form or another. But it wasn’t until her sophomore year at UMass Boston that she considered turning her talents into a career. “I originally pursued psychology, but I decided that I wanted to connect with people in another way. I wanted to connect with people who appreciate art, and I felt like psychology wasn’t working for me in that sense,” said Servellón, who changed her major to studio art with a minor in Japanese. “I felt like it was my calling to keep creating and connect with audiences in a much more visceral way.” Now the award-winning filmmaker is connecting with people through one of her latest and most successful films, Hyphen. As a multimedia artist, Servellón often uses several art forms to explore a story or topic. The 21-minute film is a poetic journey of memory and fantasy told through the eyes of four versions of an artist as she creates her own self-identity. Each character learns to use art, dance, and music to realize their dreams, fears, and achievements. Through the power of creativity, they are able
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UMass Boston Fall 2020
Independent filmmaker Maria Servellón ’12, behind the camera, sets up a shot for one of her projects.
to overcome different challenges to create identities that transcend cultural and gender expectations. As a Salvadoran-American, first-generation, female artist from Boston, Servellón said she has a range of identities that shape the voice in the work she creates.
