BIANCA YRURE
Art, trees, cyclical rhythms and identity with Sydney-based artist and Wierd Women contributor, Bianca Yrure.
Who are you, what do you do and how did you get into it?
I am a creative person and artist who uses art making as an expression of self and exploration of the world around me. Specifically, this is in relation to the environment and the ways it can shape our identity, connection with self, and with communities around us. I’m the kind of person who stops to talk to a stranger for an hour, who pulls the car over to photograph a tree and who finds insects interesting!
I have always approached life through a creative lens, getting lost in the small and subtle details of life. This curiosity and desire for discovery is what has kept me practising my art, as a way to study, appreciate and connect with these moments on a deeper level - hopefully helping others to do the same.
I think everyone is born with creative abilities and I’ve always nurtured that side of myself as an artist, not always fully aware as I am now that it’s possibly the largest part of my purpose and identity - I’m still figuring out the fullness of that as I go.
Since I was little I’ve been drawn to art making and love the messiness, flow and fun I can have with it. I’ve followed this path with curiosity and an open mind as to where it can take me, and it’s led me to some interesting places and given me the ability to connect with many wonderful and like minded people.
To explore my creative abilities further I studied a Bachelor of Visual Arts at Sydney College of the Arts (University of Sydney) which gave me the time and direction to pursue art and the possibilities within my practice. It was a fun time of experimentation. From then I have built a career in the arts since 2019 installing exhibitions at galleries and events, and most recently managing, producing and curating art related projects and exhibitions. On the side I’ve continued pursuing art as my passion, producing commissions, exploring ideas as they come through and staying actively involved in exhibitions each year.
How would you describe your style and main themes of your art? What do you hope people feel when they view your art?
In painting my style involves a lot of detail and focus on capturing the light and colour that speaks to me. Through this I try to create an atmosphere that gives the viewer a sense of awe, to bring about stillness and contemplation as they are drawn into the subject. This can be an experience that stays with them for the next time they look at an everyday object; they might see it with a new lens, and find it more intriguing when it previously could have been overlooked.
I play with many modalities within art to evoke places, emotions and thoughts, acting as a continual introspection. For me, art is everywhere and I am presenting momentary happenings that resonate with my spirit and immediate environment amongst the busy-ness of life.
The themes that most often come through my work are those holding a sense of wonder and connection to the beauty of the natural environment. I think I recognise something in trees that reminds me of myself, of people. There are many commonalities in our shared cycles, rhythms, shapes and patterns, that of life, growth, movement, sickness, abundance and death. I hope people feel part of something greater than themselves when they view the works I create, and feel a sense of connection to self, place and other beings.
What is your earliest art memory?
Glitter and glue, butterflies and rainbows! I would love getting stuck into arts and crafts at preschool and in my younger years I loved getting messy with cutting shapes, sticking things together and playing. I was very into drawing butterflies and combining colours to turn everything into a rainbow. I would spend time creating by myself to keep entertained as well as with other people, friends, classmates and family - they are quite special memories. I suppose that part of me still exists in my interests and approaches as an adult; being hands on, exploring colour, playfulness and of course a fascination with butterflies !
How does your identity as a woman influence your artistic practice? Do you find it reflected in your artwork, creative decisions or how you interact with the art world?
Over the past few years I have been stepping into my identity as a woman more so than before. I’ve been surrounded by many beautiful, clever and strong women over the past couple of years who have inspired me to be more myself. To not be shy to express myself fully, in all aspects of my life, and that being seen is a way to step into my power as a woman and artist.
I’ve realised that art has always been the place I’ve been unashamed and unafraid to express myself fully. I believe that being a woman with an arts practice carries a lot of potency in the ways I can express stories and tell my truth. Being a woman allows me a freedom to intuitively connect with the subject I am working with from a place of softness and compassion. Creative decisions are more often than not directed by this intuition, and it always amazes me when this takes over and a state of flow begins as I stop thinking or trying to problem solve.
As a woman I believe I am naturally connected to cycles such as birth and death, growth and decay and this innate knowing guides me to have a deeper relationship with the way I look within nature to discover its secrets.
I also have become more aware of my responsibility as a woman to create and express what is important and precious to me. This awareness of responsibility has come about by recognising that not all women in today’s society and cultures (or in history) have had this same privilege to be expressive and creative. This has become a motivating factor for me to do more of what I love and through my dedication to practice, inspire other women/people along the way to do the same - fearlessly and with confidence for those who can’t.
What do you do when you're feeling unmotivated? Do you have any rituals or practices that help keep you focused, inspired, creating?
This is a tough one for me that I face quite often. The biggest hurdles that result in lack of motivation are busy-ness (both deliberate and unintentional), perfectionism and procrastination. I have always struggled with these and they cause me to loose touch with my creativity and art making.
To get out of this rut, I start on smaller art works that are playful and experimental to loosen up, and I make space and time for more self-care. Usually journaling about where I’m finding resistance in myself can help me break things down and see past them. Dance and body movement is also something that makes me happy and gets me feeling into my body and out of my head!
If I have bigger projects to work towards I usually will write down all the tasks I have to do to achieve my goals, making to do lists and using calendars. Of course, once I’m in the groove with art making I don’t have a care in the world, and can create for hours - it’s my favourite space to be in!
Are there any female artists who have influenced or inspired you?
To be honest there are no particular female artists who influence or inspire me. It might have to do with growing up in a technological age where I’m constantly discovering many new and inspirational artist everyday. I must say though that I am generally in awe of all female artists practising at a professional level, and they, as a collective, inspire me.
I am particularly inspired by artists who are mothers, caring for their children and committing to practice - the sacrifices they make with their time, their families and pressures of society, and their approach to not seeing these things as obstacles or restrictions towards their art but as catalysts to what influences the various states and cycles they create and flow in and out of. I have spent time with many female artists, each with a different story, and have witnessed how their dedication and perseverance to art making despite life's setbacks has gotten them to where they are, and that is a reflection of what is possible for me and inherently other females wanting to be professional artists.
What can we do to help woman-identifying artists?
I believe platforms like Wierd Women are excellent in holding space for those identifying as women to come together and express themselves and share stories in a very free and supported way. These are ways for us to network and share in order to expand our ways of doing and thinking. False beliefs surrounding competition and judgement can be broken down in these spaces and provide us with the tools needed to step back into our work, businesses and practices with a stronger sense of conviction and support. I think that’s what female artists need, space to come together and inspire and empower one another. And these groups do exist in small pockets or scattered throughout a year but more are needed in an immediate sense. I hope that a platform like this can open doors for women who need the support to walk through and feel strength in their talents and skills.
