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Yvonne Baker was born in 2003 in New York. She is a senior at St. John’s University, pursuing her BFA as a Fine Arts major. Baker’s work has been exhibited in the 2022 and 2023 BFA show at Yeh Gallery, located on her campus. She has participated in other shows at St. John’s University such as the “Title Show” in 2023 which displayed her Mixed Media and Book Art’s work. Alongside her responsibilities as a student, she continues to focus on her business, BbyMui Art & Deisgns. Since the launch of her business from the beginning of this year, Baker has amassed a following online from several social media platforms. She currently lives and works upstate New York.
My identity and culture mean everything to me. It is the reason why I make art, it is my art. Even if my artwork is not of people, it is about people. Not only the good parts, but the flaws and the ugly. We are unique complex creatures, and yet we are equally as connected and alike. When I’m creating artwork, I put a piece of myself whether it is part of my identity, my culture, or my interest into my art. With my paintings and illustrations I prefer working in mediums of acrylics, watercolor, and digital art, usually opting for portraiture, especially of black women. I like to lightly experiment with different styles and coloring, but often lean towards more of a stylized-realistic approach. My painting titled, “Pretty & Faded; It Takes a Village” is a great reflection of how I incorporate my identity and culture into my art. The second portion of the title is a direct reference to the African proverb, which conveys how people need to come together to be able to raise a child properly for it to develop and flourish, the blunt in the painting symbolizes that energy of black community coming together.
I gravitate towards institutions that are geared towards identity and social justice. I advertise to many social media spaces online as I feel they offer more chances of exposure to millions of people from different backgrounds. Providing me with a diverse audience who more than likely relate to an aspect of my work. I like to invite viewers to see themselves in my pieces and resonate with the overall visuals, message, or theme. I love to make visually appealing artworks with very subtle or obvious underlying messages to mimic how we as humans are often way more than we appear. It’s not until we peel back layers and spend time with one another that we find these deeper messages and personalities. That is my goal when creating artwork whether it is a positive or negative message, I strive for making people feel, think, question, and comment.
