Visual Artist: Yholima Vargas-Pedroza
Yholima Vargas-Pedroza is a native of Colombia. Since a very young age, Yholima was intrigued and inspired by Colombian art through her mother, Fefa. Fefa made a living by painting and, occasionally, performing traditional Colombian dances when Yholima was only a child. Since then, Yholima learned to appreciate art as an expression of the soul and cultural identity. After moving to Canada in 1997, Yholima became a recognized choreographer and dancer as well as an ambassador for world traditional dances. Since her arrival to the USA in 2007, Yholima has continued teaching, choreographing, and performing Latin American dances in North Carolina. However, in recent years, Yholima started exploring her painting abilities on a more formal level. Today, you will be able to explore just some of her work and a piece of her heart through her paintings. Yholima sees the world as a place with vibrant colors, whether there is sadness, chaos, or happiness; there are always colors.
Yholima describes herself as a well put together Costeña with a vibrant, diverse and yet soft demeanor. Just as through her dance, Yholima reflects her emotions and vision, dreams and frustrations through vigorous movements that create a dynamic reality in her paintings. As a new artist, Yholima is planning to continue developing her painting skills and redefining herself as abstract art painter – Costeña painter – that is. Every artist leaves a piece of themselves in every piece of art. That is the gift of using art to share your voice with the world.