My name is Jonathan Yubi. When I first began my studio practice, my mantra was “I (Don’t) Eat Crayons.” That nonsensical phrase was a guiding principle in my work. I’ve been slowly moving past that, digging deeper into my story, my culture, my family and the impacts of immigration and social structures imposed from without and within. Lately, I’ve also begun communicating my frustrations as an onlooker and at times unwilling participant in the culture wars.
Four years ago I started this series on construction workers. The unseen hand that guides our city. I wrote then about this piece, but also this body of work:
“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. This painting, titled “Hombres Sin Nombre (Nameless Men)” celebrates the labor of these unnamed and faceless workers who are synonymous with New York City. This work was created in oils to exemplify further the roots and traditions of not only the medium but the subject matter.”