Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Na’ye Perez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Na’ye , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
Well my artistic journey truly began before Freshman year at the University of Toledo in Ohio. Prior to that I was applying for colleges and got accepted as an Engineering student. But before it came time to summer orientation, I requested a switch and signed up for Bachelor of Arts program. Something in my heart told me to follow my path, and make my own decision. I initiatially applied for college because being first generation college student, Caribbean (Cuban-Haitian) too it was expected to go to school and get a job like engineer, medical, lawyer something that was considered respectable. But that what people wanted for me and I wanted to know what I want.
Starting that fall of 2011, I didn’t have much skillsets acquire as an Artist, I went to public schools in Jersey and Ohio growing up so I really had to train myself and learn everything I could during college. Printmaking, drawing, digital, photogrophy, sculpture, paiting etc, I did not let my lack of experience hold me back from wanting to improve and tell my story as an artist. I didn’t let bad critiques, or not knowing something stop me even felt frustrated. I also recognied I was young like 19-22 at the time and even if I didnt master everything I was coming out of college in my early 20s and still had time to grow as an artist.
Half way through the college program, I officially got into BFA program and from there I know I could eventually pursue an MFA and enter a career as artist when time came. My thesis show at UToledo, I was able to sell my first piece for over 1000$ and I knew then my worth and how to move forward. I was entering exhibitions and pop ups as I finished school and during my 3 gap before I returned to east coast to get my MFA at Pratt in Brooklyn. I felt like I didn’t really learn to paint till after college and pushed myself to understand color, material, collage and weave story together to talk about Black community and eventually evolve my practice into what it was now. That time off trained me how to talk about my art, how to set for exhibitions, and even begin thinking about navigating the artwork as I began MFA journey and finished my time at Pratt.
I don’t regret those decisions and that choice I made for myself was still one of most important decisions that lead me here today.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am Na’ye Perez, an interdisciplinary artist based in Brooklyn, My art focus on the Black presence through shared experiences and ancestoral memory held through places, objects and day to day moments told through my paintings, drawings, performances, printmaking and other mediums. I always connect my practice back to my origins and love of music when I was kid, instead of sampling music and sounds to recontextualize into new beat that pays homages but creates something new. I’m taking traditional mediums like paint, relief printmaking, along with sand sourced from places like Orchard Beach in Bronx, Dockweiler in Los Angeles or sand from Haiti, old vibe and source magazines, food wrappers, MTA cards, archived photos of Black figures and communities and personal photos and layering them together to create my art. I am always thinking of ways to tell these stories and still make them accessible to viewers who see my work without it feeling they need Phd or heavy art background to understand. I came and raised communties where fine art wasn’t always accessible to everyday people and disconnected. So I always want works that people could relate and see a piece that reminds them perhaps of their childhood riding bikes through the city, of their loved ones like their grandmother cooking for them, moments of self care as an adult like getting ready for night out. Those stories are important through art, and for those who want nuance and complexity, because of my work is layered with images of Black history, they can feel presence through materials, the texture, the articles chosen, the photography that has been gel transfered, the symbolisms created, there is lil something for everyone.
My performance work is rooted in communal engagement and story telling also taking the premise of day to day moments to transform art space into one of communal space that art is for us. So whether it setting up Card Table Convos at some of my past exhibitions where people are welcome to play card games and chat and hang out, they are thought spades, uno and other games. Over time I’ve seen people continously return to gallery or residency space and invite others because I add that space of community in one that may not have happened before.
Over past few years since I’ve really grown in my practice and career, I had many highlights I could list the solo shows like Montclair State and Syracuse Universities, my solo at Welancora Gallery, or creating largest Mural for westchester county in New Rochelle. But what makes the moments so amazing is people who I connected with and resonated with my work that drive me forward. Being able to moments where friends from different states and time periods from my high school years till people I met only months ago support me in these spaces and talk about my art and community. While it can be nice for friends or individuals already in art world to compliment me, but I always get excited To see young people resonate with my art and ask me questions which I often seens as highest praise. I knew I did something right when I saw this young girl just standing in awe in front of my paitings art “Still I Rise” solo show at CFAC gallery in Syracuse University, even though we didnt speak directly, she didnt need to cause my art did what it needed to do and that was joyful.
So even in times of uncertainity, I am always thinking bout how to drive my work forward and connect to my history and communties beyond myself. Yea I can talk about resources, finances, getting paid and space to make these happen but I also had strong faith in my art to push me forward into more opportunities and programs and continue connecting with others.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
There so many ways. The first is to continously engage with art even if you are non creative. Art has been vital part of our society across all cultures and communties and is one of the one that has been most misunderstood, put on pedastal in today society and told ” this is not money making job, not to be taken seriously or that only the most privlege can have time and resoruces to invest in art”. When we put up those barriers of thinking, it creates system that devalues art from out lives especially we consume so much of through music, fashion, furniture, food and other means, but now here not investing in real artists, companies or even individuals taking shortcuts to use AI to replace our work because they can’t see themselves paying artists money.
Art should be made accessible, the galleries are historically free to attend. You don’t need to feel like you lack art background to appreciate what you like, to learn and studio art you may not understand. That exposure and even encouraging outhers to pursue art is important to fostor healthy commitment to making sure artists can grow.. Show up to these space, ask questions, support your friends. Financial support is important of course, I don’t wanna hear from peers all time “when I get rich or get money, I’ll buy a piece to support”, sometimes all it takes is showing up to the shows, if you can’t physcially come during the month or weeks the art is up, like the work on socials, repost works you like, share resources if you see art opportunities pop and it appropriate for them share them, read art articles, figure out what kind of art you do enjoy, engage in more conversation, you don’t have to wait to hit certain status to always engage and support.
As for tangible resources, yes this can’t happen without resources, whether physical space to make work, materials and of course the money to make a living and invest in our practices. So for those who do got it, invest in artists you believe and buy art, ask for payment plans cause most often if you serious about collecting artwork instead of trying to haggle, see if you can come to payment agreement that works best and still supports your friend and colleagues. There are many residencies, open calls for programs, exhibitions, artist grants, I been grateful for my community outside arts who able to send me things my way that could look into. These opportunities can often be next step or way to help an artist elevate their career or help fund the vital projects they need to grow from there.
These are among many ways I see to help create healthier system for us.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
One of them most rewarding aspects of my career is knowing the last impact of my art once theyre out into world at exhibitions, or murals and other spaces. I have been inspired by peers and community who felt motivated by the art that I made and in turn pushed them to try new things, I’ve been inspired by people who still talk specifics shows I did over past few years and talk about how they felt.
Or even see how pieces like Card Table convo evolved like Montclair State University, I told the student gallerists some games and over the course of the exhibition, they learned new games on their and exchange ideas and would hang out at the gallery space. so for one my works to take natural life of it own and create a space of community has been important goal. I appreciate the moments where people could see themselves in my art work (sometimes literally like paintings of my friends and peers) who get excited to see themselves and share that work with their families. I am also grateful for many amazing artists and people in this career I got to meet because of my art, and the friendships and support systems that formed because i decided to take those chances. Those support systems kept me going even during hardships and downtimes because I remember what I am capable and know that I can do amazing things. It pushes be forward as an artist.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: naye_davinci1914
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/na-ye-perez-b5925137a/
Image Credits
Images provided courtesy of Welancora Gallery and Montclair State University
(profile pic courtesy of good black art)