We were lucky to catch up with Zykira Wilson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Zykira, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
The most meaningful project I have worked on was a painting I titled, “Growing Pains.” I created it back in November of 2022 after experiencing a traumatic experience and transitioning to a different location that I grew up in that I thought I would never return to. I suffered deep pain from what I had experienced in the months before, I couldn’t sleep for days, couldn’t watch certain shows or bare to hear any loud yelling/noises or even look at myself in the mirror and recognize myself, it scarred me to look at that reflection of pain in my own eyes. I had always been pretty reserved and to myself, keeping all of my work only sacred to me, not wanting to share it with the world out of fear they’d only see the pain. The painting is somewhat of a self-portrait that features 3 different versions of me looking amongst each other reflecting. The first represents my past self, crying, vividly showing how I felt during that traumatizing experience, reflecting on the pain I had endured this lifetime, there are tears rolling down my face that waters the caterpillar below ready to start the process of metamorphosis. In the center of the painting, there is a depiction of me sitting still, being patient as the cocoon hangs from a branch, that was painted to show myself grace as I face the transition to who I am becoming and take these life lessons to grow into the woman I aspire to be. Lastly, a beautiful butterfly is seen resting on my nose as I have an expression of peace and serenity on my face almost as if I was receiving a kiss of life in my darkness. This painting is the most meaningful because it serves as a constant reminder to never stop in my darkness no matter how dark it may get and to always keep pushing through to keep my peace of mind. Sort of an ode to mental health and the issues many black women and men may face.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a self-taught artist, I first learned how to draw by watching someone in church as a little girl and from there on I just kept growing with it , letting the creativity flow with my experiences. What sets me apart from other artists is my authenticity and my ability to see beauty i all people and experiences, I can understand people from different walks of life and hear their experiences without casting judgement. I love to create works that allow me to be transparent and to work with my heart instead of just looking at a picture and drawing it, I like to go all in with everything that I create. I create paintings working with different mediums bringing life to the canvas. My art is a depiction of my emotions, experiences, inspirations and a reflection of the culture whether it is through portraits or abstract work. The main thing that I want potential clients to know about me is that I see and feel them in times that they may feel unseen or unheard, know that I do. I have a deep passion for creating just as much as I do when helping others and putting a smile on their face. I want them to feel alive again, feeling the love, as they experience and view my artwork. Art has saved my life, and I believe that I can use this passion of mine to serve others and brighten up their life with a bit of color on a canvas, The slogan to my brand is “ART FOR THE SOUL.” because when I create, I am using all aspects of my mind. body and soul to create, I create works of art for those who have passed on, I create works for those who have lost their way on their journey hoping to speak to and brighten up their soul.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
One lesson that I had to unlearn was to not worry so much about what others think of me and what I am doing with my career path. When you worry about what others think of you, you are less likely to move forward and begin to limit yourself. I used to be afraid to share myself and my work with my community because this wasn’t exactly the plan I had set for myself. Growing up I wanted to graduate college and become a neuroscientist but as time went on, I decided to take up Psychology while leaning into my creativity as an artist. I learned to forge my own path and let God order my steps along the way. Through life there is going to be a time where people tell you what you should or should not be doing with your life or telling you what works for when they haven’t even set foot in the path that you are taking. I had to learn that people are always going to have something to say when you are doing something that is fulfilling to you. In my opinion, there is no one way to be in this world, you can be all that you desire to be. Learning this lesson allowed me to realize that it is not what I look like or what I choose to do with my time but what is fulfilling my heart in the present moment. I didn’t want to leave this world spending my days engaging in activities that wasn’t making me happy or feeling a sense of peace. Through this journey I have met both people who understand the vision and those who don’t, and I appreciate both ends because it keeps me motivated. I also had to learn that even though I may feel alone in the journey it is not something that I have to continue doing alone, I have met so many beautiful people that have been very influential in my growth as an artist and I’ve learned to be appreciated of encounter and opportunity received along the way.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the fact that I can go into the depths of my imagination and use my heart to create pieces that others can potentially relate to. As an artist you’re creating because you don’t feel seen sometimes, but I learned at my first art show that there are others that understand and feel what I feel just through different lenses. I also love the confidence booster that comes with being an artist, I used to very reserved and quick to be behind the scenes working but I recognized that this career path has helped in shaping me into the woman I have always aspired to be. I am able to fully be myself, speak my truth without holding that shame or guilt over myself from others. Also, the freedom to express yourself through another outlet when you don’t have the words to speak it is rewarding in itself. But the most rewarding aspect of it all is the smiles that I see when speaking to other souls about my work or watching them walk by sharing a smile with me. That is so important to me, I want people to leave my presence and feel a sense of peace after speaking to me even if it is just fro a second. There was a time where I couldn’t bear to see myself smile while going through some of the toughest things and now its the smiles that I see that keep me pushing forward, both art and the smiles go hand in hand to me, priceless beauty that never ages with time, the sincerest gift to anyone in this world.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Kiras.kolours
- Facebook: Zykira Wilson
