Yahel Yan
Painter based in San Diego
ABOUT
I was born and raised in Mexico City where I was exposed to art and color from a young age. I completed my schooling and graduated with a degree in graphic design but have since then devoted myself to art both as a painter and printmaker. I specialize in oil, acrylics, and copper etchings and digital painting. My palette and compositions lend life and spirit to inanimate objects which are often overlooked. I am always seeking to express the unexpected, unseen magic hidden in each “thing.”
I give my imagination full freedom to pursue this mysterious journey. I strive to create colorful happy art that brings joy to the viewer. A recurring theme in my art is chairs, which have become a staple of my work. So why chairs? Years ago I started collecting miniature chairs and eventually became fascinated with painting them and telling their stories. For me painting a chair is about the idea of a common object representing individuals and emotions. I see chairs not as objects but as people with a personality of their own as well as with a story to tell. Every time I look at a chair, or a group of chairs I see them alive and interacting, I create a story around them, I admire their differences and what they seem to be expressing or telling us. In my paintings I want the audience to feel and view the chair not as an object, but as something that is alive. I wish for my art to inspire humanity and love for one another.
ARTIST STATEMENT
I actively pursue and appreciated beauty everywhere. I love beautiful skies and how they change colors when the sun sets. I love flowers, trees, the smell of the sea, and the freshness of newly-cut grass. I also love the bustling streets of the big cities, people crossing paths, the energy of movement. This pursuit has led me to appreciate inanimate objects. I am challenged to give them a voice, a personality, and a secret story. I see the objects (especially chairs) as living beings. My palette and my composition lend life and spirit to inanimate objects which are often overlooked. I am always seeking to express the unexpected, unseen magic hidden in each "thing". I give my imagination full freedom to pursue this mysterious journey.
Website: yahelyan.com
Instagram: @yahel.yan.art