We recently had the chance to connect with lé dieguê and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning lé, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
My cat Malandrín.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is lé dieguê, I am an artist, poet, and instructor from Caracas, Venezuela. My studio is based in Savannah, GA, and I study light and color in relationship with culture, memory, and existence. My practice explores how diverse natural light can be, and how that relates to our inner and spiritual composition. I live a life guided by the poetry found in nature and how we can reconnect ourselves with those smaller, yet grandious, details of our surroundings. My works portray different light manifestations such as light refraction and atmospheric dispersion, composing intricate and pristine geometric abstractions. Currently, I am working on my next solo show, entitled “Chromatic Adversities,” in Milwaukee, WI.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
The time I wondered about why my stepfather would paint the sky in his paintings in a red-violet color. That early questioning invited me to start looking up more closely, looking for those purple skies he painted. Years later, what began as a naive and childish question ended up shaping what I study today. Light and color.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
When I left my country at the age of 18 years old when I came to the US for the first time in a migration setting. I never wanted to leave, but the socio-political situation of my country forced me not to come back. Ever since then, I have always longed to go back. However, I heal every time I can represent my country through my artistic practice, even though the political situation is severely bad back home, I can still speak about something different when I paint.
Another important loss was when my uncle, the poet Hermogenes Yane,z passed away in 2015; that year was the first time I was outside of my home during the holidays. He passed on December 30th, and that year I welcomed the new year crying alone. Nonetheless, I used his poetic input to find myself writing poetry too. That has accompanied my journey and has allowed me to grow and heal internally.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
To have permanent large-scale sculptures and murals around the world. No matter how long it takes, it is a quest I have already started and will not stop until I achieve it.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
If I had to give it a title, I would like it to be “The stubborn guy that tried.”
I have gone against many odds in many circumstances in my life, and just because I was brave enough to try I had the opportunity to be a differentiator. From being the youngest child who left home first without even speaking the English language, to painting graffiti, to finding ways to become an internationally exhibited artist. I am still in the beginning of my career, and I want to feel that way until I am gone.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ledieguearte/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/l%C3%A9-diegu%C3%AA/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ledieguearte/
Image Credits
Pictures 1-4: Rex Wong
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
