Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1521473
SUMMER 2024 21 SISTERS IN ART LORELAY AND NEYSA BOVÉ "YOU'RE GOING TO GET A DIFFERENT ENERGY THAN YOU WOULD FROM TWO ARTISTS FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS." While the Bové sisters may work at different animation studios today, they built their careers on intertwining paths. Lorelay is currently the Production Designer on an upcoming Disney Animation feature, and before Neysa left Disney to become Head of Costume Design at Skydance Animation, the siblings were nearly always in sync, from their childhood love of art to having their first children while they were both working on Encanto. Born in Spain and growing up in the Principality of Andorra, their animation journey began when Lorelay, at age 10, fell in love with the medium after discovering a Preston Blair book in their dad's studio. Art had already been woven into their family life, as their father, Quim Bové, is an abstract contemporary artist. After school Lorelay and the younger Neysa, along with Neysa's twin brother Edgar, would go to their dad's studio where he would let them play with art supplies while he created his huge paintings. The whole floor would be covered with paints, says Lorelay, and they would get messy with oil paints and clay as they explored. It was definitely their happy place. Change came when the family won the green card lottery and moved to Phoenix, Arizona. Lorelay was starting ninth grade and Neysa was starting fifth, so it was a hard transition. After graduating, when Lorelay didn't get into CalArts, she moved to California and studied at Laguna College of Art and Design for two years. Neysa wasn't sure of her path, and her parents sent her to visit Lorelay over the summer, hoping she'd be influenced by the arts. Their plan worked, although Neysa was unsure about what she ultimately wanted for her career, finding herself drawn to more experimental styles. After Lorelay took a year off to build her portfolio, she finally got into CalArts, and Neysa unofficially attended classes with her sister. But after trying her hand at animation, she decided it really wasn't her thing and opted to study fashion instead. This was followed by an internship at Walt Disney World for costume design, while Lorelay got an internship at Walt Disney Animation Studios, followed by an internship at Pixar, and then a trainee position at Disney that led to full-time work in visual development. Little did Neysa know that taking an internship in graphic design at Disney consumer products and later designing Barbies for Mattel would lead her toward her sister. Her experience with costumes led to work as a Visual Development Artist on Disney's Moana. She continued on this path on other films, designing costumes as part of her role, until she arrived on Encanto as Costume Lead Design—working with Lorelay, who was the Associate Production Designer. The four years they spent together on Encanto were special. Lorelay loved working with Neysa because they were on the same page in terms of design and taste. Neysa says they'd be quite blunt in their honest feedback to one another. At times, it would feel like they were at home chatting, and they'd have to remind themselves to speak to each other professionally. They bickered a lot too, the way only siblings who are close tend to do. But the upside was knowing they always had each other's best interests at heart. Since moving to another studio, Neysa says it's been lonesome without her sister. Lorelay agrees. She misses having lunch, coffee, and meetings together. Neysa explains that when siblings work together on a project: "You're going to get a different energy than you would from two artists from different backgrounds." It's a special energy that comes about because they're both passionate and know each other so well. SUMMER 2024 21 Photo by Tim Sullens at Shot of Art, Los Angeles