Jonathan Yubi is a New York-based artist. His mantra is “I (Don’t) Eat Crayons.” That nonsensical phrase was a foundational principle in his work. He has been slowly moving past that, digging deeper into his story, his culture, his family, and the impacts of immigration and social structures imposed from without and within. He communicates his frustrations as an onlooker and at times unwitting participant in the culture wars.
His series on construction workers titled Work i(s/n) Progress is about the unseen hand that guides our world. The city of New York was built by millions upon millions of workers, documented and undocumented alike. These workers have toiled to build one of the great cities of our world, and yet they remain nameless to the multitudes that descend upon our concrete shores. Who are they and how are they synonymous with every facet of the American story?