Our Love is a Shady Garden

Yanira Vissepó blends painting, natural dyes, block printing and collage in her practice which centers around the study and celebration of the ecosystems between her birthplace in Puerto Rico and adopted home in Tennessee. The naturally dramatic landscape of Puerto Rico’s tropical rainforest and saturated colors in native plant life merge with the striking change of seasons seen in Tennessee, creating lush and vibrant paintings. Vissepó uses organic materials and natural pigments, drawing from Japanese printmaking traditions. Both the materials and imagery speak to her long-time interest in herbalism and holistic healing that began as an important means of self-care before manifesting in her artistic practice. Generous swaths of blue, green and red are created using a stain painting method that add depth and texture to the surface, with collaged floral and plant images delicately stitched onto the canvas or fabric.