Interview
Nivia Bejarano
There’s so much Nivia can say about her art but to understand her art you must understand her. She was raised in all over New England, a child of an addict has been eventful to say the least. She grew up in the foster care system, so her imagination was her best friend and in there is where she discovered her talents. Art has been her sanctuary. Most of her pieces are women that, not only represent her, but also represent the loss of her mother. Living in the wake of her mother’s overdose was not really living. She struggled a lot as an adolescent with without her mother present. She was a beautiful woman with a terrible drug addiction and unfortunately her beauty proved to be undoubtedly dangerous. Hence the beauty, the danger and the sadness in most of Nivia’s pieces.
Coming from an abusive upbringing due to the foster care system and losing not only her mother, but many loved ones to addiction pushes her to speak about abuse in her adult upbringings, mental illness and drug addiction. It has been such a difficult journey opening up and speaking about her and her truth. She can only hope her courage influences and helps others who share what she has gone through or walked a similar path. She’d like to say her work speaks for itself and they pretty much do. They hold power when you look at them. Power and pain. She uses the eyes, lips and facial expressions in her pieces to tell you a story. The story of the many silent children and adults. Through her work, she hopes to push and to heal the many who can not speak as well as herself. If you look closely at each of her pieces you will find a part of her and her mother. The birds and feathers represent the loss of her mother and loved ones. And if you look even closer, you will notice that some of her females actually have a beauty mark on the side of their eyes. That’s her trade mark. She was born with the same beauty mark on the right side of her own eye. You can definitely say her art represents her and her life. It’s who she is. It’s what she’s become. She is her own muse and she has embodied her own art as we all should.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I am a Colombian-Lebanese Puerto Rican survivor of the foster care system. My mother lost custody of me at a very young age and undoubtedly in itself has shaped me as human being, artist and healer, that I have become today.”
What inspires you?
“My mother and the children of the future, especially the ones that have been abandoned in the foster care system.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“The inner power of overcoming your inner darkness. The loss of my mother due to her crack addition was a very painful and changing point in my life. as you can see most of my pieces show and harbor strength and pain. It's the story of my rebirth , my overcoming of all obstacles.”
“The inner power of overcoming your inner darkness.”
How would you describe your work?
“Powerful, impactful and healing.”
Which artists influence you most?
“Rene Magritte, Frida Kahlo and Jackson Pollock.”
What is your creative process like?
“My creative process is simple, purse and express it all. never feel bad and never hold back.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“As an artist in society I believe our role is to help and give those without a voice or courage to speak or express themselves, a platform to do so. Helping the most vulnerable and tainted beings traumatized from life experiences to feel okay and safe to express themselves in a expressive environment.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I have showcased at various locations including the Circa Hotel, Hollywood, FL; the Hidden Garden, Fort Lauderdale, FL; Gingers, Fort Lauderdale; Hair Circus, Fort Lauderdale; Berlin Bar, Las Vegas, NV; Art Basel 2020, 2021 and 2022 at the Red Dot art Exhibition, Westfield Mall. Fort Lauderdale, FL; Intercontinental Hotel in Doral Miami, create art events for children in Las Vegas and in Broward County. I show cases every first Friday In Las Vegas at the Art Square. I was also responsible for two entire bar build outs on Fort Lauderdale Beach in Fort Lauderdale Florida, the Hidden Garden and La Playa. I am also featured on Artsy. I am heavily involved in the art community. This endeavor has allowed me to a do a multitude of charity work all over Broward County, Las Vegas and in Seattle. Which includes, victims of domestic, violent assault, victims of domestic trafficking, children of sexual abuse, and art therapy for homeless teens.”
Website: www.wildhippie1111.com
Instagram: @thenivia
