Happy Birthday to one of my favourite artists! The one and only Erin Yoshi! What could be a better birthday present than a “Special Art Post”? Okay, maybe an iPad2 would be cooler….
Erin isn’t only an awesome visual artists, but also very active in social justice and community projects.
Here is some information about her:
Born in Los Angeles, CA. Erin Yoshi was inspired at an early age by her parents to create. She built a darkroom and started developing photography at age 7. She was influenced by stories of her families experiences during the Internment Camps of WWII, which instilled curiosity for human capacity and politics of power. Her foundation as a community organizer, has influenced her art and project themes.
Yoshi tells stories and shares emotional expression with delicate brush strokes. Her artwork reflects of the struggle within communities, and the paradigms of social injustice and class struggles. She focuses much of her time creating plans, building partnerships and pooling resources to build her projects from the idea stage to completion. The artwork has become the talking point, but the Projects she creates have expanded her art form.
Yoshi rides with The Trust Your Struggle Collective. She obtained her Masters in Business Administration focusing on International Sustainability. She takes prides her nomadic tendencies.
Her work has been featured in Vibe, Ruckus, Spirit Magazine, El Tiempo and Time Out New York. Yoshi has left her imprint creating murals in Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Colombia, Chile and across the United States.
Source: erinyoshi.com
Social activism
Trust Your Struggle
Trust Your Struggle is a collective of visual artists, educators, and cultural workers dedicated to social justice and community activism through the medium of art. Our work includes but is not limited to graphic design, printmaking, silk screening, photography, illustration, graffiti writing, and mural painting. Based in California and New York City we have produced gallery installations, live paintings, murals and arts education workshops with youth and community organizations since 2003.
Our art continues the legacy of visual language. We are contemporary storytellers influenced by graffiti art, comic books, political poster art, religious spiritual icons, and our own indigenous traditions.
Memoria Viva
>Memoria Viva is a project to remember those who have been displaced, disappeared or assassinated who were affiliated with the Union Patriotica (UP), a political party that was leftist and strongly organizing for basic human rights and needs. Most of the leaders associated with the party have been either displaced or killed from the 80’s until today.
The project is to create murals that captures historical references as well and the continual struggle today for the victims and their families.
Art
More pictures can be found at Erin Yoshi’s homepage!
As always the copyright of all pictures belongs to the artists involved!
1 Reply to "Special Art Post Birthday Edition: Erin Yoshi"
Auntie Bill 17. March 2011 (6:37)
Hey E!
Wow, what a rockin’ review!
Congratulations, E. You are truly pursuing your ideals, beliefs and making the world a better place!
I told Brandon about your new job, and he’ll miss not having you around and so close by, but he’s happy and proud of you. I told him we can go and visit. I love SF. My cousin Lynn is there and students at Berkeley.
My student Cory is working at this really great self-sustaning, organic, tiny seafood restaurant. I’ll get the name so you can go and look him up. His partner, Art, is going to UCSF med school.
I love you, E. You are doing a great job. It has been nice to have you grounded here for a bit, but you are my global girl, so I’m not surprised that you are taking off to another great experience.
When will you guys go? I didn’t tell Lauren yet, she’s in finals and she’ll be glad and sad and excited and missing you, but backing you all the way.
Yay for you!
xoxo,
Auntie