Coolest Person in the Room: Maria Bottle

Popularity is relative, especially in the digital age. For our series, Coolest Person in the Room, we pinpoint all the people whose energy is contagious regardless of their following count or celebrity. Today, we're talking to artist and creator Maria Bottle, who's been popping up at fashion events, creating gorgeous art, and documenting her totally singular life over on Youtube.

I’d love to know about how it’s been living in Mexico City for the past few years.

Not being from here originally, I’m from a place called Querétaro, which is two hours from Mexico City, moving was a little crazy. I moved with my friends, but now I live alone with my dog. I moved for work. I love this city. Getting my dog changed everything. He made me start walking everywhere. I would look at the big trees that are so old and tall and have broken the streets, they’ve become part of the urbanization of the city, that was incredible to see. I love the city. I love Mexico. I love the smells. I love the architecture. I love the windows, the plants, the flowers. I wish I could walk alone at night. That’s something sad that I have to mention. It’s a place of magic, though.

Which are your favorite museums or galleries in the city?

The museum of watercolor. It's in Coyoacan. It’s a big house, that’s traditional, with beautiful chairs and tables. I took some watercolor courses there. A botanics course, too.

That’s incredible.

Yes, I love it. Another favorite is El Museo Nacional. That museum changed my life. I go every six months to see it differently. I look for different things.

When did you know you wanted to pursue art yourself?

I always loved art. When I was a kid, I had my father make me a small table to paint with. My grandmother took me to classes when I was 16. I was oil painting and loved it. I had my first exhibition in my hometown’s city museum. Then the pandemic came and I started making content and had more of a fixation on makeup and fashion. Everything transformed. I never quit art. But two years ago, I made a decision to paint again.

What are your favorite mediums to work with?

I’ve been working with a lot of different ones so that I can find my favorite. I’m trying to experiment. I did watercolors, acrylics, pastels and oils. Sculpture work, too. My favorite is graphite pencil. But I also do a lot of oil painting.

I loved ‘Roots of My City’, which I saw on your Instagram.

That’s amazing. Thank you for saying that. I tried to capture something homey and warm.

Tell me about the split between the content you make online and your art. What does a day look like for you?

The most important thing for me is to walk in the mornings. For my art, content, mental health and life. With my dog. We do an hour or more. Then, I use the morning to work in content. I feel like, at first, content took me a lot of time. Because I would waste time scrolling and looking at results and comments. I create and post, and then stop scrolling. And every week, I make my 40-minute YouTube video. They don’t take a lot of time, because I’m just making the art become part of the vlogs. I didn’t think people would like me including it, but they do. And they understand it. It doesn’t have to be something niche. People aren’t stupid.

I think it makes you stand out when it comes to the giant sphere of influencers.

Thank you. I’m so curious about other people’s lives. I want to know what an artist or designer has for breakfast. I want to know what their mothers are like. If I know that your house is pink, I know why you painted something pink. I would love to know what Miuccia Prada had for breakfast.

Exactly. People are nosy. Insight is what they want. I’d love to talk about modelling.

Well, I’m not a model.

Oh, please. I see you in Miu Miu ads.

I play as one, I think. I love it. It’s like exposure therapy. You’re always vulnerable with yourself. I figure out why my face has these eyes and the bags underneath them. My mom and my grandmother. For that to get captured in a picture helps you accept that.

That makes a lot of sense. It helps you self-actualize.

Yes. There will always be someone more beautiful. But you are yourself.

Do you have a soft spot for any modelling campaigns you’ve done?

Last Christmas, we made a super camp campaign with BIMBA Y LOLA. It was great. I only make campaigns that I love, though.

What are some inspirations you draw from when it comes to music and books and film?

I love movies. I watch the same ones over and over again. This isn’t a movie, but I watch lots of Desperate Housewives. It’s so different from where I’m from. It’s so inspiring to see things outside of my reality. I just discovered David Lynch. I watched Mulholland Drive. I don’t know the directors of everything, I’m not that smart. I loved the documentary The Perfect Days.

I want more good lesbian movies. Lots of them are really sad. It’s always two girls who are dating and one is dating a man, but doubts it. They can’t just be in love and it’s straightforward.

I love music. I love reggaeton. I don’t understand how it makes me so happy.

I’ve stopped trying to figure out why music makes me so happy. It’s insane. What do you see coming for yourself in the coming years?

I just want to produce something I like. And to share. I love art, but I love sharing the process of it too. I want to be with the people who’ve believed in me. I love the vlogs. I’d love to paint more.

That’s beautiful.

And to learn a lot. And love.

Are you dating right now?

I love love. I love kissing.

Me 2 Girl. Is there advice you’d give to a younger version of yourself?

I don’t think so. If I had advice, I wouldn’t have learned everything I did. I needed to crash a little. And I don’t listen well. I need to figure things out on my own.

photography Diego Villagra Motta
videography Peter Demas
story Andie Kirby

styling Angelina Cantú
makeup artist Aleida Gómez
hair artist Mariana PaMa
lighting designer Peter Demas

chief creative officer Brian Calle
styling assistants Sal Lee & Mariela Maldonado
photo assistant Guillermo Arango
executive creative producer Angelina Cantú
sr. editor Joan Summers

graphic design Composite Co
retouching Carlos Chung