Victor Yepez

Deepak Chopra outlined three components of the illusion of materialism. First is acceptance. This is total and complete. One accepts people, circumstances, situations, and events. That is the result of the illumination of all the moments experienced in the past. Second is responsibility. Do not blame others for your situation. Behind the meaning of all events there is a hidden meaning of serving your own evolution. One must have a creative response to a situation. All problems contain the seed of opportunity and this awareness allows you to take the moment and transform it into a better situation. Every upsetting situation can become an opportunity for the creation of something new. Tormentor and tyrant become teachers. Third is defenselessness. Your awareness is established in defenselessness. Relinquish the need to defend your point of view; you will gain access to an enormous amount of energy that has been previously wasted. If you force a situation, the resistance will only increase. Don’t stay rigid like a tall oak; be flexible like a reed that bends with the storm and survives.

My piece that I propose for the nybianual is titled “Eternal Forms.” It is a polieptico, mixed-media piece of acrylic and ink on paper and wood. It is a series of square paintings that can be installed in any shape or size. There are infinite possibilities of how it is installed or displayed, like an eternal form. It is to be enjoyed as a creative response to the moment. The space has to do with the dividing line between reality and unreality, angels and demons. It is a subjective idealism mixed with metaphysics.

Biography

EDUCATION
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Specialized in Engraving and Sculpture
Central University, Quito, Ecuador. Graduated 1989
TEACHING EXPERIENCE AND RESIDENCIES
Art teacher, MNIC High School Minneapolis 2007-2009
After school art program, Wellstone International School 2007
After school art program, Minnesota Internship Center 2007
Mosaic project with students, La Escuelita 2007
After School Program, Whittier School 2004-2006
Monkey King project, Whittier School and Minneapolis Art Institute 2005
Mural project, Jefferson School, Minneapolis 2004
Mosaic Art Residence, Highland Park Senior High School 2004
Artist in Residence, Heart of the Beast Puppet Theater, Mayday Parade, Minneapolis 2002-2003
Mosaic Project, Whittier School, Minneapolis 2003
Mural Project, Whittier School, Minneapolis 2002
Summer Village Project, Whittier School, Minneapolis 2002
After school program, La Familia Sculpture Project, La Escuelita, Minneapolis 2001
After school program, Folwell School Mural, Minneapolis 2000
Residence Art and Science North High School, Minneapolis 1999
Mural and Masks, After School program, La Escuelita, Minneapolis 1999
Art and Spanish Instructor, Menlo Park School, Minneapolis 1998
Found Art and Masks Residencies, Highland Park Senior High School, Saint Paul 1997
Professor of Fine Arts, Catholic University, Quito, Ecuador 1992-1994
PUBLIC ART
Glass mosaic sculpture, Wellstone International School, Minneapolis 2007
Hope, mural at Urban Ventures 2007
Murals corner of 41st, 42nd and Cedar Avenue Minneapolis /El Colegio 2006
Mural on 4th Avenue and Lake Street with Urban Ventures 2006
Finalist, East Lake Library Public Art, Minneapolis 2004
Finalist, Loring Bikeway Public Art, Minneapolis 2004
Mural Project at Jefferson School Minneapolis MN 2004
Greenway Parade of Arts, Minneapolis, MN 2002
Jet Black, Sculpture, Hennepin County Government Center, Minneapolis 2002
La Familia, Public Sculpture at Centro, Minneapolis 2001
Healing View, Public Mural, Family Medical Center, Minneapolis 2001
People Places Connections Project at Intermedia Arts, Minneapolis 2001
Marcy Holmes Gateway Public Sculpture Project, Finalist, Minneapolis 2001
Murals painted in La Conga Bar, Minneapolis 2000
Guest Artist in Edina Elementary School murals, Edina 2000
Mural painted with students at Folwell School, Minneapolis 2000
Blue Connections, Public Sculpture, Hennepin County Government Center, Minneapolis 1999
Canto al Pueblo, Mural, St. Paul 1999
Large Sculpture of a man wearing a poncho, part of the La Familia Sculpture Project for Centro, Minneapolis
1998
Large bicycle sculpture for the Saint Paul Classic Bike Tour 1998
Mural Painted in the Crystal Court, IDS Building, Minneapolis 1998
Six Monumental Sculptures for the City of Tulcan, Ecuador 1995
Mural painted for the Catholic University, Quito, Ecuador 1993
Monumental sculpture for the City of Quito, Arte Para Todos, Ecuador 1992
Guest artist on the sculpture of General Eloy Alfaro, la Mitad del Mundo, Ecuador 1992
Victor Yepez vyepez@yahoo.com 612-730-1447
AWARDS AND GRANTS
Grant from COMPAS for work on La Familia, an outdoor sculpture project 1999
Grant from REDA to paint the mural “Canto al Pueblo II” West Side, Saint Paul 1999
Grant from Intermedia Arts for the Mentorship Exchange Program, Minneapolis 1999
Grant from Forecast Public Art and the Midtown Greenway for a large bicycle sculpture, Minneapolis
1997
First place in the competition “500 years of Indigenous Resistance,” Quito, Ecuador 1990
First place in a painting competition for the Ecuadorian Army 1990
Award in a painting competition for the center for Brazilian Studies, Quito 1990
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
Paintings, Sound Bar, Minneapolis Paintings 2007
Painting and sculpture, La Bodega, Minneapolis 2004
Painting, The Lounge, Minneapolis 2003
Painting and Sculpture, La Bodega, Minneapolis 2002
Sculpture and Painting, Art-a-Whirl, Sol y Luna Art Studio, Minneapolis 2001
Sculpture and Painting, Sol y Luna Art Studio, Minneapolis 2001
Sculpture and Painting, Flander’s Contemporary Art Gallery, Minneapolis 1998
Sculpture and Painting, May Day Café, Minneapolis 1997
Sculpture and Painting, Augsburg College Art Gallery, Minneapolis 1997
Sculpture and Painting, La Pena, Minneapolis 1997
Sculpture, Casa de la Cultura Art Museum, Quito 1994
Sculpture, Jacinto y Jijon Camaano Museum of Art, Quito 1994
Sculpture, Filanbanco Gallery of Art, Quito 1993
Sculpture, French Alliance Gallery, Quito 1992
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
Painting, Devorzon Gallery, Beverly Hills, CA 2008
Sculpture and Painting, Flanders Contemporary Art Gallery, Minneapolis 2007
Painting, Carnaval show, Mira Gallery, Minneapolis 2006
Painting and Sculpture, Altitlan Gallery, Minneapolis 2005
Sculpture, 55408 Show, Intermedia Arts, Minneapolis 2004
Sculpture, Northwest Sculpture Competition, Minnetonka Center for the Arts, Minnetonka, MN
2004
Sculpture, 55408 Show, Intermedia Arts, Minneapolis 2002
Sculpture, Dia de Los Muertos, Crearte, Minneapolis 2001
Sculpture and Painting, Gallery 416, Minneapolis 1999
Sculpture, Dia de los Muertos, Crearte Mercado Central, Minneapolis 1999
Sculpture and Painting, several shows with the Latino Artist Group, Minneapolis and Saint Paul
1999
Sculpture, Gateway Sculpture Project, Minneapolis 1998
Sculpture, Flor del Corazon, Crearte, Minneapolis 1998
Painting, The Lounge, Minneapolis 1997
Stone Arch, Art on the Lake, Glensheen Art Fairs 1997
Painting and Sculpture, Gallery 416, Minneapolis 1997
Painting, Hennepin County Government Center, Minneapolis 1997
Sculpture Uptown Art Fair, Minneapolis 1996
199 Several collective shows in Ecuador 1993