We are pleased to announce a pop up exhibition opening event entitled Honor Ori for Caribbean based artist IYANSA, taking place at 81C on St Thomas Friday, June 19, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Admission is free.
On View Through July, 2026
ARTIST STATEMENT:
“Being a Caribbean woman means that my work is as varied and fragmented as the story of our region and that of the journey of our ancestors. I am a cross-cultural medium; a bridge between communities with similar pasts and shared goals. The presence of ancient practices and items within contemporary art helps to preserve what some have cast aside in the name of human evolution and technological advancements. It is my aim to preserve and honor the power of the natural elements and to carry on the legacy of ingenuity birthed by indigenous nations.” – IYANSA
ARTIST BIO:
Milenys Viera Pérez, known as IYansa, is a Puerto Rican artist and educator whose work reflects her mysterious persona and love for adventure. Themes of rapid adaptation and embracing the winds of transformation have become driving forces in her path. The scope of her work integrates multiple mediums– brewing a concoction of paintings, drawings, photographs, writings, and sounds, all which she deems sacred manifestations of the Divine. Born on November 1st, 1999, her early years were spent in Canóvanas, PR, where she was first introduced to multiple art forms. A great portion of her influence has come from living in Georgia, USA, where she had the opportunity to begin developing her craft. It was there where she met her first creative mentors and turned her passion into her life’s work.
After coming of age, she returned to the Caribbean and has since lived in St. Thomas, VI and Barbados, where she expanded her practice by gaining experience as a screen printing artisan and experimenting with natural sustainable materials. Creative Development, a class she has been teaching virtually since 2022, helps children to develop their art skills and knowledge through studies of ancient artifacts. IYansa is currently based in Kingston, Jamaica and is working on her debut musical project. Somewhere between the magic that can be found in reality, and the thin veil between the living and the dead, is where you may find her.
More info here: https://81cvi.com/art-on-view-now
