Today we’d like to introduce you to Kylia Phillips.
Kylia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’m a local artist from Baltimore Md. I moved to Atlanta in June 2017. I went home for four months and here I am again as of January 11th.
I moved here to pursue my career in art. I’ve been in retail for 17 years. I started working at a place called “things remembered” and well, that’s was a staple for me. I wanted people to have things they could remember me by. I used my platform to become a positive influence on others as well as myself.
Growing up you would think I had it easy but, I didn’t. I was a fathers girl. He taught me everything I needed to know talent wise. He taught me some academics but not much. He believed life was school and no book could ever teach me that.
As I grew as a teen, I’d been molested over ten times and molestation turned into fear until I found art. As I got older, I met different people and one day I met a girl who had a tattoo of Africa in the shape of a woman’s face. I was intrigued and I asked if I could take a picture of it and draw it. She thought I was joking around but I wasn’t. I challenged myself and I stay up all night long and I draw until I got it right. I finished around 4:50am and from then on art has been the reason I’m still alive today.
From depression and abuse from being bullied and more from cutting myself and now having 126 scars on my body, art is one less cut on my skin. Each time I paint that’s a release and it truly saved my life
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
This journey through art has been a ride! I have my days when I’m super creative and everything is going AMAZING and then I have days where I cry and cry to the point where I can’t see and I don’t have any energy to paint.
One of my biggest struggles is being my own worse Critic. I get discouraged when I see my product because I feel I could be better but, what artist doesn’t critique themselves?
Rawabstract – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
RawAbstract is not just my name; it’s a movement for me. Raw for me backward is
W: we
A: are
R: Revolutionary
What sets me apart is my ability to bring any and everyone in and help them with support or simply going above and beyond for those around me. I love doing art drop because you never know what a Person going through. Imagine having a horrible day and you suddenly stumble across some art with a note that reads “ you are victorious, you are resilient, you are worthy & your life and you matter!!
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
My definition of success and completing a project and allowing others to see your work.
In this cut-throat industry you have to know people so I’m always searching for artist and shows and networking events to get into to meet fellow artist and show what I have to offer.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 4438684004
- Email: rawbusiness1@yahoo.com
- Instagram: Http://instagram.com/rawabstract
Image Credit:
Kylia Phillips, James ward, Bree (tune)
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