Spotlight on abstract painter Yahaira Maduro

Craft beer culture is finding mutual, collaborative space within the art world.    Showcasing this growing trend, Documenta, an exhibition held every five years in Germany and revered as perhaps the most significant show of contemporary art, had guests sipping craft beer in lieu of glasses of bubbly or wine during the exhibition’s celebratory opening.

Craft beer aficionados recognize that brewing is a form of art, with each brew a unique combination created by a brewer, making their own interpretation of bringing the palate to life, just as the artist brings their vision to life in the form of pieces of art. And just as there is no one-size-fits-all methodology in art, craft beer has brought diverse creativity to the genre of beer, reaching a wider audience and extending the borders of the beer consumer demographic. 

Here on Aruba, our very own craft beer brand, Magic Mango and Magic Orange, brewed by Balashi National Brewery, has had virtually overnight success with consumers.  The Magic brand is also aligning with the island’s growing local art scene, most recently partnering with Aruba Art Fair this past October as the official beer of the festival.

In this new Magic of Art blog series, the Magic brand of beers proudly puts the spotlight on local artists.  First up, abstract painter Yahaira Maduro.

Yahaira Maduro

Relatively new to Aruba’s art scene but passionate about art since she was a child, Yahaira Maduro works as a legal specialist by day, goddess of her canvasses by night.  Her childhood love for art took a backseat during her studies to be a legal specialist, but in 2009, feeling the need for an outlet to her stressful job at that time, Yahaira turned to the canvass as a hobby to help bring peace and balance to her life.

Local artist and owner of ArtStudio at Renaissance Marketplace,  Hendrik Schouten, graciously offered space in his studio for Yahaira to explore this artistic side of herself. 

As her prowess in painting was growing,  particularly in abstracts, the global pandemic hit.  The artist took this time to continue creating from home and started an Instagram page called @artbyyahaira, to share her work.  To her surprise, galleries from around the world began to reach out to her. The Van Gogh Art Gallery in Madrid featured Yahaira’s work, followed by a contemporary art exhibition at Place De La Porte De Versailles in Paris, as well as exhibitions in Milan and the Canary Islands.  She also had her first solo exhibition on the island at Cas di Cultura in 2020, followed by another in 2021.

Yahaira’s bold and passionate style brings unique energy to her canvasses, making her colorful mark on Aruba’s art scene.  Follow her on Instagram @artbyyahaira.