Today we’d like to introduce you to Yari Mena.
Yari, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My parents are from Mexico, I was born here in Atlanta. Growing up, my parents always stressed the importance of education, they really encouraged me to go to college and I became the first in my family to go. When I arrived at Georgia State, I switched majors several times, and abandoned art for a couple of years. I had a lot of doubts and fears about being an artist when I knew that was what I wanted because I had heard mostly heard about first-generation students striving to become doctors or lawyers or things of that nature.
Eventually, I felt I needed to start being true to myself. I started taking art classes and at some point started playing with photographs and inks in my work. I also volunteered at different art spaces the past couple of years, which really helped me learn and grow as an artist. I’m now in my final semester at Georgia State and getting ready to graduate!
Has it been a smooth road? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Not always, but I think anything worth having is worth the struggle. I’ve gone through periods where I juggled multiple jobs, school, and art. Finances are a common struggle. Mental health issues definitely led to some long pauses and misfires in my art making, but things have always worked out. I picked up a good work ethic from my parents- they get through even the worst days. They taught me that hard work and determination will always pay off.
Right now the biggest struggle is self-care. I’ve had so many opportunities this month that I’m beyond grateful for, but it has been overwhelming at times. However, I think no matter what the struggles are: whether they are mental health problems, financial struggles, or creative blocks, learning to manage them makes them a little easier to work through after a while.
We’d love to hear more about your art.
It’s an odd kind of system, combining photos and elements of fluid painting. Process wise, I hand alter photographs and then I paint them with inks. Most of my work has been the size of 4×6 inch photographs you would get printed off at a drug store, but I’m working a bit larger now.
The photographs are stand-ins for memory and “the past” in my work: they stop time and capture fractions of moments on paper. I’ve heard a couple of people say that photographs allow us to forget because their job is to remember things for us. Through painting, I talk about that natural erosion of memories, intentional repression of memories, and how human memory is layered. These topics are all based on responses I’ve had to my own memories and my own determination to heal. I went through a period of time where I wanted to forget certain memories and that led to a summer of making my “Repressed Memories” photo-paintings. It’s the largest body of work I’ve created so far and it helped me solidify my process. When I wrapped that up, I started looking at my childhood and family photos for events and practices at home that might have influenced the way I give and receive energy and interact with others- as well as to reflect on my roots. I believe the past- whether it’s a past we lived through or not- ultimately affects our present and I think we owe it to ourselves to try to understand the past and use it to learn and grow.
What were you like growing up?
I’m the oldest of four, so I tried to always be “the good example”. I was pretty quiet growing up – I still am for the most part. I made friends with other quiet kids, sometimes a more social girl would take me under her wing and help me make more friends, or I would just have to be around a group of people long enough to become comfortable and open up.
I always loved drawing and discovering new music. I liked writing, and I kept many many journals, then I started keeping sketchbooks when I was in middle school. I used my journals and sketchbooks mostly to document how I felt, what was going around me, and to practice drawing. I still enjoy all of those things.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.yarimena.com/
- Email: yari.johana.mena@gmail.com
- Instagram: @yari.mena
Image Credit:
Art Images: Yari Mena
Geneley Childress with Flatline Cinemas – Personal Photo
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