Today we’d like to introduce you to John Yaou.
John, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
My relationship with art is a bit of a love story, a love story not only with art, but with the City of Chicago…
I was born in the City of Chicago in 1981. Shortly after being born my family moved to Athens, Greece. I lived in Athens until I was 8 years old, we then moved back to the United States and to sweet home Chicago. Growing up in Chicago I always had an interest in art as an escape from classwork. Continuously drawing in notebooks while I should have been completing schoolwork. As I grew up I became heavily involved in graffiti as a creative outlet to have my voice heard and my thirst for art quenched.
I attended Lake View High School and graduated in 1999. While attending high school at Lake View, it was my art teacher Mrs. Davis who supported my love of art. She inspired me to fully engulf myself in my passion of art and was always there to guide me in honing my craft.
After graduating high school, I chose several different paths that did not involve art. Although, being away from art my love and passion never wavered. I enrolled in a few Colleges but could never really find my fit so I took a break from higher education.
In 2009, I returned to college to pursue a degree in Criminal Justice. Instead in 20012 I completed a bachelor’s degree in Fine art with a concentration on sculpture and ceramics. After graduating I was lost as an artist, I was torn between being a sculptor, a ceramist or a painter. What was my voice? What was my message? Where had my passion gone? I took a hard look at myself and realized my passion for art all stemmed from my love of Chicago and Graffiti. So I returned to my original love, and in the last 6 years I have worked to incorporate Graffiti into my fine art. To sort of turn the Urban into Fine while staying true to the city that molded me.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
My current body of work focuses on celebrating urban/street art. It focuses on celebrating Graffiti and the place that I call home, Chicago. Using the influence of Urban art and turning it into fine art. I gather my inspiration from my experiences as well as the city that surrounds me. I attempt to link all of my work by keeping the methodology and technique consistent. The methodical and almost tedious process not only frees my imagination, but gives me a sense of accomplishment once that piece of work is complete.
As a painter, my focus is to use traditional techniques on “Urban” or ‘Street” art in hopes of merging the gap between the graffiti enthusiast and the fine art lover. Graffiti in my experience has never been widely respected or accepted by the “traditional” art community. This includes commercial galleries, who refuse to represent these artists. The shunning of this art form is a disservice to young artists that find their voices in it. Graffiti has always been considered as counterculture, against the grain or the norm. In ten years, this style will not be counterculture, it will just be culture. We are going to look back and realize this is the art of our times.
In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
I believe the biggest challenge for artists today is the revenue based art market. It’s a challenge for artists to balance a need for the market while detaching from it. The disappearance of public funding and the existence of large, revenue-oriented galleries that even museums rely on these days, has distorted the mindset of artists. Our increased need for revenue due to less public funding has driven us to commercial obedience. Due to a revenue based art market, an obstacle for any artist is gaining publicity, in order to attract attention from potential collectors. With the revenue based model that galleries rely on, they are less likely to take chances on less publicized artists. When your quality of work takes a back seat to how many followers you have, there is a clear problem in the art world. There is a real need for variety, other ways, more confusion, fewer defined routes.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
People can see my work in galleries’ around Chicago, on my website, www.johnyaou.com, on Instagram @drakesuno or on Facebook @johnyaou.
People can support my work by supporting all local artists. Attending shows that feature Chicago artists. Buying art from us, commissioning us for original and one of a kind art pieces. Giving us the opportunity to work on projects that range from murals, media, promotional design, etc. Hire your local artist.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.johnyaou.com
- Phone: 7733542103
- Email: drakesuno@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/drakesuno
- Facebook: facebook.com/johnyaou
Image Credit:
Lisa Stefaniak
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.
