Meet Jeyra Mayer | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jeyra Mayer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jeyra, what do you attribute your success to?
The most important thing to me in becoming a successful artist is staying true to myself and my style. I have always had an incredibly hard time expressing myself through words and early on in my life, I found that painting was a way I could convey my thoughts and emotions onto a canvas. Ultimately, I paint for myself and not for others, and I think that it’s important for me to consider in my art career. One thing I have learned about myself in the past year is that I love receiving critique from my peers, but I have to remember that it is up to me to decide what advice to take. The worst thing I could do for myself is to compromise what I do for others, even if it means more success for myself down the line.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My paintings involve the female form that is intended to represent me and my emotions. The majority of the time the girls are crying or melancholy, and I like to create a juxtaposition by placing them in whimsical environments that involve symbols of nature such as bugs and flowers. I use lots of colors, specifically pinks and purples, to create a contrast with the overall theme of the piece. I’ve dealt with feelings of loneliness and shyness on the daily and these are main themes I find myself portraying in my work. I create this work because I have problems with communicating with those around me, and I have found this is a way to allow them to understand what I am going through. Painting is like a form of therapy for me and I could not imagine my life without it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Living in Memphis, there are many cute and fun places I like to visit. My favorite being the Memphis Botanic Garden, since there is an abundance of flowers and trails to walk on, something I find really inspiring for my work. Sometimes I’ll come here and find a quiet space to sit and draw while listening to music. Another place that has the same feeling is the Dixon Art Gallery, which has an outdoor garden with sculptures and a small and intimate indoor gallery. Since this was a place close to my college, we’d often take school trips here to look at the local art. Visiting other places such as Shelby Farms Park, and the Brooks Museum would definitely be on my to do list.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d love to thank my parents for always supporting me and encouraging me to pursue my artistic career.

Website: www.JeyraMaria.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeyraart

Image Credits
Charis Elaine Barnes