Today we’d like to introduce you to Bex Baker.
Hi Bex, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up overseas in China, and I spent my formative years feeling lonely and isolated living in a new country. Not knowing the language or local customs, it was very hard to make friends in those first few years. Although I didn’t know it at the time, painting would become a way for me to process trauma, isolation and mental health issues.
It would then take me years to truly gain the confidence to claim the phrase “I am an artist”. I first spent years jumping from job to job, trying to find my purpose. Nothing ever quite felt right. In my 20’s, I worked as a makeup artist and then as a graphic designer. I was happy to be doing something creative, but creating for other people ended up causing me a lot of unnecessary anxiety. It was confusing for me, because I had the belief that in order to be a real artist, I needed to monetize my work.
Several years ago, I reached a point where I had to take some huge risks in order to pursue what I really wanted, and I’m so glad that I did. Now I realize that it’s not about choosing art as a career and monetizing it. In fact, I would argue that I don’t have a choice in it at all, because being an artist is who I am.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As any artist can tell you, imposter syndrome is real. I had to come to the realization that what makes you an artist is the fact that you have the desire to create, not whether you can monetize your work. I create, therefore I am an artist. There is no skill level to reach that marks your being defined as an artist.
As artists, we can be so critical of ourselves. It takes a lot of work to rid yourself of the idea of your finished product as being “good” or “bad”. Trying to get out of this headspace is a real challenge. I used to get so upset when a piece didn’t turn out the way I had expected it to, but now I understand that the failures are all part of the process. I can’t have the successes without the failures. It’s yin and yang, they go together.
My current mindset is to always see myself as a student. I am challenged now to keep my curiosity and my desire to learn new skills burning. So now if something doesn’t come out the way I intended, I don’t get discouraged but instead focus on the process and the joy I get from creating. Afterall, it’s the love of creating art that keeps me going.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
People often ask me what the meaning of my pieces are. It’s funny, because I often find myself painting or drawing without thinking. I have imagery in my head, and I feel like I need to get it out before my thoughts and ideas consume me. When I create, I am pulling from a place deep within myself. A place that is often a mystery to me. As time passes, I am able to look back objectively and really understand my work during that time.
In recent years, I have been focused on themes in nature. Especially those of rebirth and resurrection. I have always felt a profound connection to nature. In my work you see a lot of decay and death being overtaken by growth. When I first started on these pieces, I was going through a pretty rough time; I was trying to balance parenthood, a pandemic and a corporate job. For years, I thought that I was just painting “pretty” things that I liked in my spare time. At the beginning of 2022, I quit my job and came out publicly as queer and non-binary. All of a sudden, all of my pieces started to make sense to me. It was like working on a puzzle for so long and finally getting to step back and see the full picture.
As humans we are constantly going through change. It is inevitable. We will constantly be going through cycles, whether it is a relationship, job, or your own identity. I realized that I had been “dying” in my personal and work life for so many years, and when I finally let go to that life that I was so desperately trying to preserve, I was able to start anew.
Recently I have found a new medium that has taken over my obsessive tendencies in art: relief printmaking. I am continuously learning new techniques and working with new tools. I love using a traditional form of printing and how it connects me to another era. I am starting to introduce some religious themes as it pertains to my strict upbringing. I am excited to see where this new chapter leads me and to see what pieces will be made.
How do you think about happiness?
Community. Community. Community. Like most of us, I struggled after the pandemic to rebuild a sense of connection and belonging with others. When I first started out I really had no idea what I was doing. My first market, I showed up with just a table and my work. I quickly realized that was not going to cut it against the Texas sun. Immediately I had several other artisans around me offer to help and we rigged together an awning for me.
Over the past few years, I have made some incredible connections with other artists. We laugh, share ideas, encourage each other, even cry. Baring your soul via art can be a vulnerable experience, but this is a group of people who understands that and will offer support when needed. I look forward to each event I go to, it’s become my whole social life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/bekkabakerart
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bekkabakerart/
