Meet Hayveyah
Hayveyah McGowan is a multidisciplinary artist in the St.Louis area whose work is like no other. She focuses on the sensual nature of art aiming to depict a reflection of personal experiences through a combination of color, texture, patterns, and symbolisms. Hayveyah shares with us the importance of her work and her inspiration behind her most recent showcase titled Feelings of Home: A Need to Simplify.
Instagram: @hevcasso
Who are you as an artist?
“I like to think of my scope and how I exist as an artist as multifaceted, and not being pigeonholed to one medium. I feel like when I started off I was focused on the mindset that Im a painter so I just paint, especially when I was younger. Whereas now it’s like I’m using other skills such as photography or print-making then bringing that all together and expanding on it and still being able to feel like a painter and not confined to one medium.”
What is your process like?
“The process of me doing work and it coming out is years at a time. I may start an idea or start doodling and start journaling for years and then look back and sort of find the meaning of it all and finding the thread between it and my personal experience at the time. It’s like when you’re in the moment your spirit knows what you’re doing but you may not see it at that time.”
What are 3 things that are important to you right now in life?
“A village. You know, having people around you that’s on your team and that’s down for you is really important in all aspects. Connectedness. Just being grounded and being in the present moment is really important. I feel like that’s the basis for a lot of stuff such as the decisions you make, and the people you come in contact with. When you’re in the present moment and in your power it allows you to be on the path that you need to be on. Lastly, being more open minded has become important to me recently. I’m very opinionated, but I understand that I need to at least be open minded to other opinions even when I don’t agree or understand.”
Speaking on connectedness. With your art being very reflective of you, your experiences and your family’s history. Have you ever created when you’ve felt unconnected or not one with yourself? And what was it like?
“I think when I first started off painting it was that way because I was more about learning the skill and making something that people would like. It was painting a lot of celebrities and things of that nature, which is fine because I was starting off and was eager to learn. It wasn’t really apart of me, It was more so me seeing if I could paint something i’ve seen to test my skill. Whereas now, I actually take the time to concept the idea out and why it matters to me, why it matters for me to say it, and why it matters for other people to see it.”
Do you have an end goal when creating?
“Not really. I just want to always be able to present my work to people and for them to be able to consume the work and get something meaningful from it. What that looks like is dependent you know. I’m not aiming to be in this gallery or that gallery just because of the status or stature of that specific gallery. I’m still figuring it all out honestly.”
Being an artist in St.Loius, have you ever wanted to relocate for better opportunities or resources?
“I’ve always wanted to explore outside of the mindset of like oh there’s not enough here. It’s me being a seeker and a traveler. When I was younger I did have the mindset of there is not enough here but the older I’ve gotten I’ve realized that there are so many pockets within St.louis of different artist and different things going on that you could tap into. You always want to expand, but you have to think about have you really tapped into all the resources that you can where you are at. Having the mindset of not having enough follows you wherever you go so you have to appreciate what you do have and really tap in.”
Tell us about your showcase Feelings of Home: A Need to Simplify
“It was my first solo gallery show. The Kranzberg Arts Foundation had an open call submission and you could submit a proposal on how you wanted to use the space for work that you were working on. I submitted and I got chosen! I had been working on the pieces for 2 years and I was finally able to showcase all that I had been working on so that felt good. It was always about my femininity and womanhood but it eventually expanded to my matriarchal lineage and my family’s history. The work showcased from July 10th to September 5th and It was pretty cool to see my work exist there and be able to breathe it all in and create its own atmosphere.”
Speaking of family, has your son inspired you as an artist?
“He has. He makes me think about time differently. He shows me how to use my time more efficiently and being able to balance that artistic side with being a mother. Also it’s about how I can present to him what I do as an artist and how he’s learning about the world.”
Can you speak on how you are able to portray your personal experiences and intent in your art?
“I think when you’re first starting off in art everything is very thought out and calculated. But, there comes a certain point were you become more intuitive. You kind of figure out what you are about and what you’re trying to bring to the world so that when you work, even when your not thinking about it - it’s coming through art. Which later you realize that what you’ve created relates to certain aspects and experiences throughout your life. Being too calculated makes it exhausting.”
Whats next for you as an artist?
“I’m just going to keep expanding on the work that I’m doing now. It’s like as long as I have been working on it, It is still at its surface level of where I can really take it.”
With the pandemic and everything that’s going on in the world right now, has that slowed you down as an artist?
“It is draining thinking about the fact that we are in a health crisis and about the many people we have lost because of this crisis. Also, just figuring out how to navigate the world in a way that’s ethical for everybody. I don’t let it affect me as an artist though. I try to stay in my own space with everything to keep my peace but also empathize and reach out to people and understand what their reality is. On the other hand this pandemic has allowed me time to focus on my show and actually get it done. It’s the summer time and you want to be outside and kicking it but now it’s like it you have time to focus and do what you were supposed to be doing regardless because outside is closed.”
