Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Yei Duran . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Yei , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

My Art is meaningful because it spreads a message of identity. It is about my roots as an indigenous person but also shows the problems they face such as lack of food and water and abandonment from the government.

Yei , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I was born in Colombia but I have lived in the United States for the past 20 years. I have always painted but I did not pursue it as a career until recently. In 2019 I graduated with a fine arts degree at the age of 44. I do large paintings in oil and acrylic on the indigenous wayuu people from La guajira, Colombia and I also do portraits. What I am most proud of is that I can encourage people to be proud of where they come from through my Art and I also have a foundation that sends toys and clothes to the wayuu children.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

When I was going to graduate from school in Colombia, I chose to study business administration because everyone would tell me that Art would not give me any money and it is not an important career. After moving to the United States, getting married, and having children, I had the opportunity to go back to school. I studied fine arts which was what I truly loved. I learned that I should not listen to others and I must dedicate myself to what is important to me like my Art. I also learned that you are never too old to go to college, study, reach your goals, and perfect what you already know.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

A book that impacted me was “The Artist’s Ways” by Julia Cameron. It is a book to help artists with creative recovery to gain self confidence in their skills. This book helped me connect with myself and taught me that everyone is born an artist. Even if we think we lost our creative side, this book helps reconnect with it. I resonated with this a lot and I want to share with others that anyone can be an artist. With this in mind, I created a page called “El Patio” where people share their struggles to dedicate themselves to their art and live off of that.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @yeiduranart
• Facebook: Yei Duran
• Other: @elpatiodeyeiyclau