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YANA
Literary Arts: Author/Writer; Media Arts: Filmmaker, Graphic Artist, Media/Visual Communications, New Media/Technology, Producer; Multi-Disciplinary: Multiple Art Forms; Performing Arts: Storyteller; Teaching Artist/Instructor; Visual Arts: Ceramist, Craftsperson, Illustrator, Maker, Mixed Media Artist, Muralist, Painter, Printmaker, Sculptor, Textiles
Iliana Louise “YANA” Delgado is a Mestiza illustrator, painter, and ceramicist from Buda, Texas. From a young age, YANA developed an interest in community activism, social justice work, and engagement in community arts and education. Seeking a deeper connection to her cultural identity, YANA moved to San Antonio shortly after high school. She is currently pursuing a BFA in Ceramics at UTSA, where her research focuses on pre-colonial mythology and Chicano/a/x identity. Her work draws inspiration from pre-colonial narratives, sacred texts lost to time and historical erasure, and Indigenous futurism, a movement emerging from the Mexican American civil rights era. YANA is a freelance illustrator, small business owner, and multidisciplinary artist. She also cultivates an online community dedicated to nurturing relationships, fostering dialogue, and creating spaces where her peers feel seen, heard, and valued.
MORE ABOUT THIS ARTIST
Artist Type: Literary Arts: Author/Writer; Media Arts: Filmmaker, Graphic Artist, Media/Visual Communications, New Media/Technology, Producer; Multi-Disciplinary: Multiple Art Forms; Performing Arts: Storyteller; Teaching Artist/Instructor; Visual Arts: Ceramist, Craftsperson, Illustrator, Maker, Mixed Media Artist, Muralist, Painter, Printmaker, Sculptor, Textiles
Artist Style: Literary: Poetry, Prose; Street Art: Surrealistic, Symbolic; Teaching Artist/Instructor: Group Instruction, Guest Speaker, Instruction for Adults, Private Lessons; Visual Art: Abstract, Assemblage, Collage, Conceptual, Decorative/Ornamental, Dream Imagery/Ethereal, Environmental, Expressionistic, Figurative, Focus on Color/Light/Movement, Functional, Icongraphic/Iconoclastic, Illustrative, Impressionistic, Narrative/Historical, Nature/Wildlife, Portraiture, Representational, Social Commentary, Still Life
Artist Medium: Acrylic; Audio/Sound; Clay; Collage; Colored Pencil; Drawing Media; Gold Leaf; Oil; Steel; Watercolor
Artist Statement of Work
Tell us about your work (style, approach, philosophy, subject and/or theme):
Growing up as a young mestiza in a suburb of central Texas, I often felt tension between my ethnic identity and the environment where I was raised. Despite assumptions made by my outward appearance, my only known ancestors were ranchers, farm workers, and Texans at their core. Like many people, I’ve experienced a disconnect between my cultural origins and the communities I grew up in. As a visual artist, my work is shaped by community and cultural identity. I focus on Indigenous futurism, using it as a way to question and critique the lasting effects of colonialism. Through painting, I use the canvas to educate, communicate, and highlight our connection to the natural world. As a storyteller, I carry forward traditional narratives through illustration, painting, and ceramics. Giving my identity space in my practice is an act of resistance in itself. My art allows me to use these tools as a form of cultural healing—for myself and others.