Yuyu's art

My name is Yukiyuel or Yuyu for short, and I'm a fine arts painter from the Bronx living in Brooklyn, NY. 

My artwork is a unique blend of modern art styles like expressionism, street art, pop art, cubism, and Taino art. The blend expresses a modern version of Indigenous art from Puerto Rico, my ethnic homeland.  To me, modernity means incorporating my ancestral heritage into the context of my contemporary existence. 

When I create, I tap into the mentality of being "original people" that was lost with colonization and westernization. This makes my practice more than just paying homage. It is about creating as if I never got colonized and reproduced for western society. I love creating as a sovereign being— imagining how it felt to have no roadmap and invent everything for the first time. I love the joy of being an "original person" who is not beholden to tradition— who makes tradition by living in an inspired way; living in connection to the divine. Through my art, I rediscover what I could have lost if I had accepted western society as an end point. 

My process begins with ballpoint pen drawings that break down figures into essential line forms and symbols. I include stars, the first cosmic creators, as my main motif— reflecting humanity's fascination with the stars. Other prominent symbols in my art are water drops, hearts, and parabolas. The symbols are commonly seen in street art tagging culture, and they come out naturally for me during my process— adding meaning and energy. Street art tagging culture is the closest thing to a new-age Indigenous art form. Reminiscent of cave drawings and carvings— it gives people a way to claim space and be spontaneously creative like our ancestral artist predecessors. 

 I approach the drawing stage with the most potential— feeling as though I'm carving the piece into stone like the Tainos and other Indigenous people did. The paintings then come to life with schemes that play colors and shapes off each other to interact in spiritual ways— bringing depth to the surface.

My work has been seen on the streets of New York City and in various local shows. Please message me using my contact page  or at yukiyuel@yukiyuel.com with any questions, comments or requests.