![Yehudi Villa](/media/images/yehudi_coatla23.width-500.png)
My name is Yehudi Villa EchevarrĂa, I was born in Michoacan and grew up in Morelia, in the city of Mexicali, on the border with the United States, and in the port city of Mazatlán. As a child I wanted to be a biologist because I found microscopic life fascinating and a painter because I loved to draw. My first approach to the plastic arts occurred at the state museum in my hometown, and although I knew from a very young age that I wanted to dedicate myself to the arts, it was not until later that I found in illustration the combination of what excites me: storytelling and drawing.
I began my career as a painter, participating in several exhibitions in Michoacán, Jalisco and Mexico City. Then I worked as a cultural manager in different communities, which allowed me to hear amazing life stories. Then I traveled and settled in Berlin, where I currently live and work.
My exploration focuses on visual narrative and experimentation with different materials and tools. I am interested in drawing on what people tell, taking images and stories from my surroundings, elaborating them graphically and provoking fantasy to emerge. In my work the recurring themes are the strange, memory, the city and the relationship nature-artifice. Besides collaborating in different projects as a freelance illustrator, I make illustrations with free themes. I love visiting museums, doing experiments in my kitchen, drawing urban scenes, reading stories and microhistory.