Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenny Vyas.
Jenny, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
In 2013, I went through what turned out to be the most significant transition of my life. All I yearned for during that period of darkness in pain was to paint. Prior to this, I had painted only once in my life in an art class during college (where I studied Graphic Design). As terrified as I was to risk it all and explore this artist journey, I did it. I began painting. The key message moulded in one of my favorite books, “The Alchemist” is when you want something, the universe conspires in helping you achieve it. What you seek is seeking you. In that moment, all I could think of was to paint. And I strictly focused on that with an audience of one: myself. I wanted to heal through my art. Once I surrendered to this intense pull from within, this fire in my belly urging me to paint, it took on a life of its own. What emerged felt like something I couldn’t control. It was a surreal and explosive experience. I became a conduit for something larger than “me.” And what you see in my art these days is what emerged. I finally understood what poets talk about, what artists paint about, what dancers dance about, what Shakespeare wrote about. I finally felt that cognitive ecstasy.
Right now, I’m in that liminal space where I’m leaving behind everything that I have known about myself professionally and don’t have a clear vision of where I’m heading as an artist. It is terrifying and unnerving. But if there is one thing that I have learned about myself in these past few years, it is to stay in this uncomfortable space until the noise in my head quiets down and I find clarity as clear as day when I surface from the waves of fear, ambiguity and discomfort. Today, I understand that everything that has happened in my life has been preparing me for this moment: To become an artist.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I am a contemporary fine artist based out of Chicago. I am highly influenced by beauty in complex human emotions and the human condition, and attempt to reveal them through multiple nuances in expressions through my art. My interest in human frailty shows in my paintings where I create semi-abstracts of human silhouettes and fluctuating forms in half-light; all drawn from reality, personal experiences, and memories. Since my art emerged from the darkest period in my life, I explore vulnerability to heal myself, and hopefully heal others through my work. Being a Scorpio, the Phoenix rising from the ashes has held a lot of symbolic significance in my life. Therefore, painting WINGS has become a large part of my work. I also love painting interactive murals where the viewers become a part of the artwork and the art tells their stories vs. my own. Like my current Wings Mural in West Loop at Federales Chicago that have gone viral on Instagram with the hashtag: #FederalesChi. I’ve also painted my #HowWillYouRISE murals in the past at the Violet Hour facade and at Nonna’s in West Loop (in 2017), and have a couple of murals at the bar, Point & Feather in River North,
Best place to see my latest artwork is on my Instagram @JennyVyas or my website at JennyVyas.com.
My artistic influences stream from music, poetry, books, artists like Shakespeare, Rothko, JR, Banksy, Alexa Meade, Andy Worhol, Jackson Pollock, Da Vinci, Salvador Dali, Georgia O’Keeffe, Gustav Klimt, and many more.
Have things improved for artists? What should cities do to empower artists?
I think we’re facing a pretty interesting dichotomy as artists today. With more than half the global population now active online, there’s no doubt that we’re living in what is being called the Attention Economy. Artists and their artworks are more accessible than ever and fans love engaging in conversation, feeling inspired, and getting connected through digital channels. Traditional artistic curatorial channels have been stripped down to create a stimulating digital space where artworks can be experienced more openly, freely, and where the interplay between the artists and the fans is almost tangible. Social media elicits a visceral reaction when words or physical connection alone often cannot. And then – there’s the darker side where our American economy is struggling, democracy is weakening, and we’re fighting to save our beloved Earth. ART is the one constant that is finding fertile ground and is flourishing. It seems like the worse things get – the more indispensable Art becomes.
However, while social media has opened doors for artists to reach an expansive audience, be discovered, and sell their artwork more than ever before – I think the biggest problem is balancing a need for the market with a detachment from the commercial aspect of the craft. The lack of public art funding and the overbearing existence of large galleries with focus on commercial gain (that even museums seem to rely on these days), has been a constant struggle for artists who want to work freely. That has bled into how the industry receives art overall. There is a need for commercial obedience. And then there’s the whole other issue for female artists like myself – of all artists represented by galleries globally today, about 30% are female. How do we bridge this gap in gender equality that clearly pervades even the creative industry?
Amidst this darker side though – as great as digital channels are for artists to reach their fans, nothing will ever replace the feeling of being in the front of a great piece of Art. Whether you’re at the Louvre or staring at your favorite painting you purchased for your bedroom, art will always forge new paths of deeper reflections and freedom for all within society and reach across borders to connect the world. So, keep bleeding your heart out on that canvas. Rest will follow.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://jennyvyas.com
- Phone: 3124982641
- Email: jennyvyas@gmail.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/jennyvyas
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/artbyjennyvyas
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/jenny_vyas
Image Credit:
Photo of Jenny Vyas by http://www.davidsabatphoto.com.
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
