Mada and Gwyneth Giller take on Girl Talk in its purest form: meandering, funny, sincere, and deeply online.
Mada started our call clutching a credit card and an apology. She’d just bought last-minute tickets to Japan, which felt like destiny for someone whose paintings radiate kawaii. At times, she feels like one of her own characters come to life: coquette, grunge, and—above all—simply a girl.
We covered all the important stuff you’re actually supposed to talk about: workaholism, romance, being a mess, and why aging is kind of a scam. The conversation spiraled, as it should. Cartoons. Indie sleaze. American Apparel trauma. Girl dinners. And the universally agreed-upon fact that Steve Buscemi is hot in a way science refuses to explain. Exactly how conversations should sound once the frontal lobe is developed.
M: *holding credit card* Sorry I just bought tickets to Japan.
GG: Omg. Are you so excited?
M: I am. We’re going in February for my birthday. I’m turning the big 30.
GG: Wait, that’s kind of a last-minute Japan trip.
M: A little bit, but honestly I love it and the ticket prices were really good. It was hard to say no.
GG: Have you been to Japan before?
M: We went last year around the same time because I had an art exhibition there. The entire year we’ve been saying we have to go back. We’ve been manifesting.
GG: Wait, so if you’re born in February, what does that make you?
M: An Aquarius.
GG: We love an Aquarius. I actually don’t know anything about Zodiac signs and yet I have to ask everyone.
M: That’s so fair. I feel like I don’t really know them that well either, but also, I feel like mine is very accurate for me. What are you?
GG: I’m a Gemini.
M: That’s June, right?
GG: I’m a May Gemini, so pray for me. What were you doing today before this?
M: Sleeping.
GG: What did you do this weekend?
M: Dude, I’ve been sick for the past like two weeks and I’m finally like a human again. My throat felt like it had razor blades in it and then I got pink eye too.
GG: Oh my god. Pink eye is really one of the most humbling things that can happen to you.
M: Yeah, 10 out of 10, don’t recommend it.
GG: Well, now that you’re like newly recovered, what are your plans for this weekend? What are you excited for?
M: I am excited to just be out of my bed. We have memory foam — and I feel like my bed has definitely molded to my body shape. I have a web shop that opened last weekend, so now I have a bunch of orders that I need to pack. So that’s what I get to look forward to, I get to be Miss Santa.
GG: What’s on your web shop?
M: I sell everything related to my art, prints, stationary, and cute little accessories.
GG: I was just thinking to myself like I have no idea what to get people for Christmas this year.
So maybe I’m going to check out your shop after this…
M: You should.
GG: Well I hope you have a little fun and don’t work too hard with your found freedom.
M: I’m always overworked. My husband says I need to relax, but I don’t know how to relax.
GG: Wait, so you’re married?
M: Yeah.
GG: What’s your wifey aura?
M: I think at this moment in time, I’m definitely the workaholic and my baby’s more of a house husband, but he’s working hard on his own stuff too.
GG: I love it.
M: He’s just better at cleaning. I’m terribly messy.
GG: You have a man who can hold it down.
M: He holds me down so well. Like that’s twin. And he’s exotic, he’s Belgian.
GG: When did you guys get married?
M: Three years ago.
GG: What was your wedding like?
M: It was really fast actually. He was on a student visa and then we were just like, “Okay, we’ll get married.” We love each other. So we put everything together in like a month and ended up going to this place, the Canary Club. It shut down but it was a jazz bar. They had this really cool party room that’s all red, so we did our ceremony there. We didn’t invite anyone. It was just our family. His brother got ordained so he could married us.
GG: That’s sweet, honestly sounds like the ideal wedding.
M: And then we had our after party at our first date spot which was um— *looks over computer screen at husband* What’s the place? Oh. Beauty Bar.
GG: Oh yeah, they do nails and stuff right? Also, love your nails by the way.
M: Thank you. I’ve been so into doing nails but I am unlicensed.
GG: Okay, talent.
M: I’m a woman of mystery.
GG: What were you like as a kid?
M: Um awkward. I still am. But I’ve always been a super creative person. So even as a little baby girl, I was drawing little comics and making books for myself. My parents brought it up the other day, my dad was like I remember when you got in trouble at middle school because you were selling little trinkets on the DL.
GG: Oh my god—why would you get in trouble for that? Like, god forbid we have a young hustler on our hands.
M: You weren’t allowed to solicit money. So I would be in like the back of the bleachers at recess being like, “You want this?” Like a drug dealer. [laughs]
GG: Meanwhile the Girl Scouts are exploiting us for a box of cookies…
M: They aren’t even good anymore. The cookies have gotten so small, they used to be substantial.
GG: What cartoons did you watch as a kid?
M: I watched all of them, cartoons were my life. I used to be so obsessed with Powerpuff Girls.
GG: Would you say that that’s part of your childhood that still lives in your art?
M: Oh definitely.
GG: Is there another part of your childhood that isn’t as obvious that lives in your art?
M: I don’t know. I’m pretty straightforward to be honest. Like my entire life is like clothes and anime.
GG: What are some of your favorite brands right now?
M: Right now, um I’ve been loving a lot of emerging designers. Like you already interviewed Lorena.
GG: Yes.
M: And her clothes are amazing. There’s another girl that’s from France that made a dress for me for an event, her name is Kenza Iatrides, she does a lot of spray painting textiles which is really cool, there’s another person who also made something for me, Taylor Dorry. She makes these really fun pieces out of vintage clothes and fabrics.
GG: How would you describe your own personal style?
M: We have a word for it. My husband came up with coqemo. It’s like coquette and emo. It’s like very girly girl but I wear black most of the time. I love lace and satin fabrics and things with patterns on them but they’re still like all black.
GG: Is there like one person in particular that’s your style icon?
M: Oh, that’s a hard question, right now my style icon is my mother-in-law.
GG: What’s her style like?
M: It’s very similar to mine. My in-laws went to Japan last year and came back with like 12 different pieces from Yohji Yamamoto and Comme des Garçons.
GG: Sounds like a dream honestly. Do you even borrow her clothes?
M: No I don’t. I hope one day. You know, as you get older everyone thinks you’re not supposed to dress cool. You’re supposed to look like you live in a fucking nursing home. But her and my mom both still dress as if they’re in their 20s. I love it.
GG: I think about that so often because I have such an imposed binary idea of age and I’m trying to unlearn that.
M: Everyone is so afraid of aging. I mean 20 year olds would be like, “oh my god you’re 29? You’re like a fossil.”
GG: [laughs] When are you going to retire?
M: I’m like every year I just get hotter honestly. I’m not afraid of aging.
GG: No, you shouldn’t be. Firstly, it’s a blessing to age. Second, the cast of the Sex and the City was in their early 30’s in season 1…
M: Yeah, plus my frontal lobe is developed and I have money, you know?
GG: When was the first time that you really felt that your frontal lobe was developed?
M: I don’t know. But I feel like recently I’ve been looking at a lot of pictures of myself and thinking, “how did I let myself walk out the house like that?”
GG: Yeah, I feel that. What is one thing you’re still learning about yourself?
M: I’m learning everything everyday honestly. I feel like I’ve been really focused on my mental health because I’m always so fucking anxious about everything. I’m trying to learn how to cope, I’m in therapy. She helps me, I love Stephanie.
GG: Shout out Stephanie. What is one habit or ritual that you have to center yourself?
M: I’ve been reading The Artist’s Way. When I feel like I need to reset, at least with my art, I’ll do my morning journaling.
In Japan we went to this temple, the Gōtokuji Temple, which is the lucky cat temple. And so you buy a little lucky cat and you make a wish, then once your wish comes true, you have to bring it back to the temple. I have a lucky cat that made my wish come true.
GG: It’s time to return her!
M: I’m going to. But I like to light a little incense and just talk to my lucky cat about my art and it makes me feel better.
GG: You know what’s crazy? My best friend and I were just talking about manifesting and being a little woo-woo. I told her that I write everything I hope for on this sticky notepad shaped like a cat—literally my manifestation pad. I keep it on my dresser, and everything I’ve written has come true. And she was like, “Oh my god—the last time I manifested, I used a Hello Kitty notepad.”
So now I really believe that cats are really out here as the divine connection. The Egyptians knew this too.
M: The Egyptians were so ahead of their time like really.
GG: Have you seen the new Divine Egypt exhibit at the Met?
M: I need to see it.
GG: What was the last show that you saw that really moved you?
M: I haven’t been to see any shows in a while. I think the last one I went to was for this artist called V.
GG: What is the weirdest thing in your studio?
M: I have a dagger.
GG: Are you a Renaissance Festival girl?
M: I’ve been meaning to go every fucking year—every October I’m like, “okay I’m going to go this year,” and it’s been like that for like the past five years.
GG: [laughs] Me too. What is your girl dinner?
M: Bread with butter. If I’m feeling a little crazy, I’ll sprinkle a little sea salt.
GG: On a scale of 1 to 10, how online are you?
M: Oh like 120.
GG: If your FYP page was like a personality test, what would your diagnosis be?
M: Brain dead.
GG: [laughs] What’s the weirdest corner of the internet that you fall into? Any conspiracies?
M: I think the one that I believe the most is that Beyoncé had Aaliyah killed.
GG: That I could believe.
M: I don’t want them to come after me cuz Beyoncé’s fans are kind of crazy. But because back in the day, having a Black superstar was unheard of, you know. And Beyoncé wanted that spot. I would imagine she would do anything for that spot. Especially with Jay-Z at her side.
GG: They have some sort of Illuminati-level power within the music industry. Have you watched the Diddy documentary?
M: Yes, and I’ve been seeing all of the like 50 Cent interviews now.
GG: He’s only doing them on the stations that they air in prison.
M: I love it. He makes me realize that I’m not hating to my fullest potential.
GG: What is something ugly that you’re obsessed with?
GG: What’s a trend that deserves a second life in your opinion?
M: I feel like it’s so ingrained in me that trends are circular. Everything’s going to come back anyway.
GG: True, one of my fav returns has been the indie sleaze aesthetic.
M: I definitely love indie sleaze. My first job was at American Apparel.
GG: Stopppp. What was your go-to work outfit?
M: Crop top and high-waisted jeans. Or the shorts.
GG: There was an American Apparel right next to a Yogurtland in my hometown, that was the dream. What’s your favorite reality television show?
M: 90 Day Fiancé. Hands down.
GG: I’ve actually never seen it but I’m so intrigued.
M: I just don’t know how people delude themselves into thinking they love you. It’s like thinking the stripper loves you back.
GG: We know that people are capable of such crazy delusion. I’m just appreciative that they let us watch it.
M: That’s true.
GG: Which Kardashian—if any—do you most stand by?
M: North West.
GG: I was actually going to ask you who would you rather sit at a dinner table with: North West or Julia Fox?
M: Honestly Julia Fox. I’m afraid of North West. I feel like she would like lowkey bully me.
GG: You would probably leave crying.
M: Crying but thinking, “this is the best moment of my life.”
GG: What is something that you learned from heartbreak?
M: Men don’t deserve to make you cry. Obviously.
GG: Do you think your work is guided more by nostalgia or future?
M: I think definitely nostalgia. Right now is such a crazy time to be alive and I hope that my work can evoke the same happiness that comes from watching Saturday cartoons as a child.
GG: If you could tell anything to yourself as a child, what would it be?
M: Um that we married a really hot musician who’s like 6’2 and looks like he should be on TV.
