Today we’d like to introduce you to Cecil Ybanez.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am a self-taught artist and entrepreneur who recently got into art fulltime after many years in the medical, fitness and design fields. I live in Richwood, WV, a town of 1600 people at the edge of the million-acre Monongahela National Forest. I co-own Bloomfield Richwood, a gallery that shines a light on contemporary Appalachian artists and where I have my art practice.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road to where I am presently at was a roundabout road. I grew up wanting to be an artist but the global recession at the time of my formative years in the Philippines dictated that I pursue a career that would provide me with a stable income. So I ended up becoming a physical therapist and came to Florida as part of the Filipino diaspora. After a decade of working as a physical therapist, I became certified as a Pilates instructor and opened one of the first Pilates studios in South Florida. I eventually went back to school for interior design and worked on five-star hospitality projects before eventually moving to Richwood, WV during the pandemic for a change of pace. We operate an Airbnb in town in addition to the gallery, and we participate in several volunteer activities. It was a natural thing for me to start back into making art once we had the gallery established.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As an artist, I currently work in three-dimensional pieces made from everyday materials – wire, fabric, clay, beads, wool, wood, tin and found objects. I take inspiration from the nature around us in Richwood, from my memories of growing up in the Philippines, and from random things I may have read or heard about. My present body of work focuses on translucence and ephemera and blending Eastern and Western elements as I tell a story with each work.
I am proud to say that I have been accepted into prestigious local, regional and national art competitions and have won major state awards in the five years since I started making art fulltime. It is gratifying to realize that the stories I tell with my work resonate with people.
I feel I am able to use basic and even rustic elements and materials to create refined art pieces. I want to spread the message that elevated art can be made from everyday materials and discarded objects that just need a little love.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I am no averse to taking risks, and have taken huge risks with the way I have switched careers several times between disparate fields. My first big risk was moving away from everything I knew back home to work in the US where I didn’t know anyone except for an uncle and his family who lived in NY.
However, I do consider myself a cautious person, and each career transition was made after careful consideration and proper preparation.
My career changes, as disparate as they have been, reflect my varied interests. I am forever curious about things once they catch my interest, and so I set about learning about them in more detail.
So therefore, the risks I took had some degree of calculation paired with passion and curiosity.
I think my present art practice is the culmination of all my varied life experiences from all the different kinds of work I got myself into over the decades, and perhaps my greatest risk yet, as I set out to share work that is much more personal to me than in my previous careers.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cecilybanez/
