Yahel Yan
Yahel Yan is a San Diego-based Mexican painter exploring the relationship between color and emotion. Frequently attending museums and galleries, Yan was exposed to art from an early age and always knew she wanted to become a visual artist. She jokes that she was born with a crayon in her hand. These childhood experiences of being immersed in the rich, vibrant culture of Mexico continue to impact Yan’s work today. Her abstract and representational work explores the relationship between color, imagination, emotion, and memory.
Yan received her undergraduate degree in graphic design from Universidad Del Nuevo Mundo. With a love for both painting and printmaking, she began her career as a professional artist in 2019. Yan has since been selected for solo and group exhibitions throughout California, including From the Masters at Ashton Gallery, Artist Alliance Biennial at Oceanside Museum of Art, and Not an Art Fair (National Show) at ShockBoxx, amongst others. Additionally, she received an award of third place of excellence from the San Diego Museum of Art’s 2022 online International Spring Exhibition. She was selected to be part of Jen Tough’s Collective in 2023. Yan paints from her home as well as her studio space located at F1VE ART in Liberty Station.
Artist Statement
My work explores the depths of imagination and reality. Through abstract and representational painting, I allow personal narratives to unfold and leave room for the viewer to find their own stories within each piece. Although I paint in vastly different styles and mediums–abstraction, realism, acrylic, and oil–I rely on my intuition to guide me in communicating emotion.
Growing up in Mexico City, I was surrounded by a vibrancy of colors and the pulse of a big metropolis. These childhood memories play into my art in palette, energy, and movement. I approach the creative process with a willingness to explore an array of mediums and techniques that guide my studio practice in exciting new directions. Through each painting, underlying emotions, sensations, and desires emerge to the surface–from joy and romance to grief and healing. Depth is created through layers upon layers of paint, evoking a lifetime of hidden memories.
My artistry is enhanced by my pure passion for creating. Whether I’m painting a chair, a whimsical landscape, or an abstract composition, each collection reflects my optimistic nature and purpose: to bring joy to the viewer.
Contact
www.yahelyan.com
yahelyan@gmail.com
@yahel.yan.art
Interview
What inspires your art practice and keeps you motivated?
Art has the power to transcend language and cultural barriers, reaching deep into our hearts and igniting profound emotions. My work aspires to cultivate a space where individuals can discover common ground through the powerful emotions and stories that my paintings evoke.
How does your mission as an artist influence the work you create?
Each brushstroke carries an opportunity to tell a story, whether it's one of joy, sorrow, or contemplation. My choice of color and subjects is simply a vehicle to create the emotions that I wish to bring to the canvas and deliver to the spectators in order to extract memories or new feelings.
By using familiar subjects, I aim to create a sense of nostalgia and connection while also inviting viewers to see the world from a fresh perspective. In this way, my art is an invitation to reflect and inspire new interpretations.
Can you share a key part of your creative process that helps you stay focused?
I show up in my studio every day, no matter what. Either I have a project to finish, a work in progress, or no project at all. I go to my studio, where I know all my materials will be waiting for me to play or get serious. I show up, knowing that there will be magic, and inspiration will ignite!
What mindset tip do you rely on to overcome challenges in your art career?
Trust yourself, trust your process, be playful, be constant, and show up no matter what. Even if you are sad, angry, or demotivated, art will serve you as a mood changer and will make you a better person, more connected to reality—even if what you want is to escape reality! Making art will make you humble and happier.
How do you hope your art impacts the world or your community?
Through my work, I want to touch the hearts of others and encourage them to connect with themselves and each other in meaningful ways. My goal is to infuse creativity, playfulness, and joy into every interaction, one smile at a time!
