Yvonne Poo

Yvonne Póo was born and raised in a land where the collision of the ancient and modern worlds resulted in what is now the important cultural center of Mexico City. With its traditions and history, its majestic colonial and pre-Hispanic architecture, and its unique handmade crafts, ’D.F.’ is for her not just a city, but an exhibition of art in its myriad forms of expression. From her earliest days, the seed of an artistic weed has been growing within her brain.

Although visiting many of the museums and theaters in such a huge city has helped her to understand her own culture, it was traveling and living in other countries that taught her to appreciate other cultures as well. Despite her love for art, she had given up on painting for sixteen years, discouraged by some unfortunate events in her life.

Now living in Austin, she is reminded of the beautiful area where she spent much of her childhood, the Bohemian- inspired neighborhood Coyoacán in southern Mexico City. The refreshing environment of Austin has given her the freedom to express herself and has made her feel at home. After getting a B.A. in Graphic Design, and searching for passion and fulfillment in life, she has come to regret her decision to abandon art. Now, she has taken up the paintbrush—or was taken up by the paintbrush—and has once again embarked on one of the most joyful journeys of her life, to find her creativity and herself.

 I paint exotic nature and mythology to represent my love for the rainforest.  My ideas come to me every day at the slightest trigger of inspiration and unlike what is commonly known as an art block these ideas haunt me for days, months or years until I put them down on paper.  These ideas are represented in my own style of surrealism in paintings and drawings.  My inspiration comes from the exotic flora and fauna in our rainforests and oceans because beauty is not just superficial. It is a mechanism for survival and driving force behind diversity, and I attempt to use it in the same way. I use frequently elements like the sun, the moon, water, rainbows, wild orchids, mushrooms, and my favorite characters are those mythical creatures that I can relate to each season, like fairies, mermaids, fauns and unicorns. I want to create abundant, rich environments pictorially to remind people that coexisting in harmony with nature is not just essential for the health of our world, but it is crucial for our collective soul.

TX