Ayin Es

Artist's Statement

Born and raised in the great city of Los Angeles, the streets and neighborhoods run deep through my veins. But now, I currently live in the high desert of Joshua Tree, almost two hours east of LA. I moved here for the peace and solitude. It's desolate and anxiety-free.

Having worked in various media: drawing, watercolors, oils, mixed media collage, installation, video, and book arts, I am also a musician (a drummer), and have an early background in the garment manufacturing industry. I grew up cutting patterns for women's clothing in the family business, and this history often shows up in my work.

As a transqueer artist, I am attuned to living life authentically without playing by binary rules. I'm inspired by my materials and discover new directions through the process of crafting each piece. I believe in creating singular artworks and rarely work chronologically. Instead, I like to simultaneously experiment on themes that develop into distinct series. While some of my projects are spontaneous, others are meticulously planned out for long periods of time.

By keeping a disciplinary, stream-of-consciousness writing and drawing practice, I've been building an ongoing body of paintings that depict visceral, existential narratives. These are driven by self-reflective thoughts and ideas, raw grit, vulnerability, and the imagery is often absurd. It commingles with a candid theory of personal transparency, abstracted nightmares, and redemption. It is here where I reveal myself in an almost methodical way as an act to distract myself from a damaged past. The purpose of my work is a therapeutic one, and I use it to rewrite new futures.