A Deep Conversation With Ra Vashtar About His Art And Life Journey

TO WATCH A VIDEO OF THIS INTERVIEW, GO TO INSPIRING CONVERSATIONS PODCAST CHANNEL OR VIEW DIRECTLY AT https://youtu.be/mBV73FRCVGIJeff sits down for a Conscious conversation with artist Ra Vashtar about the deep relationship between his life journey and his artistic perspective. He shares very candidly and compellingly about his process and evolution and how that has informed his craft and how his craft has brought about new insights and healing as well. To learn more about Ra and his work, visit  www.artsaflame.com ABOUT RA's UPCOMING SHOW AT LIGGETT STUDIO ON FEBRUARY 12TH "LIVING EPHEMERA": This will be a one-night event showcasing an art installation and gallery pieces created out of ephemeral materials such as newspaper, junk mail, receipts, packaging, etc. The focal point of the event will be an installation of multiple rows of wire with string wrapped around the wire and through holes punched in Polaroid photographs depicting themes of nature, time, and human experience. The gallery pieces will be artwork created from/on ephemeral materials that echo themes of mortality, time, and change. No photographs will be allowed of the artwork, and all artwork is to be destroyed immediately following the event. ABOUT RA AND HIS WORK Ra Vashtar is a mixed media artist with a focus on depicting monsters as a metaphor for the internal world. Vashtar's method often involves layers of ink, acrylic paint, watercolor, found objects, and resin. He draws imagery from dreams, mythology, and the belief in the esoteric practice of creating art. Vashtar cites Junji Ito, Guillermo Del Toro, Salvador Dali, and Japanese Gaming and Animation as influences in his work. As a queer, transgender, and autistic person, Vashtar's work explores themes of mental health, neurodiversity and identity. He finds meaning in seeking to show others they are not alone in their struggles, and in opening conversations about difficult topics. Vashtar was born and raised in Ponca City, Oklahoma, and has worked full time as an artist in the Tulsa area since 2017. Vashtar graduated from CG Spectrum with a certificate in advanced concept art in 2020. He works as a freelance illustrator and sells handmade adoptable monster figurines. Vashtar is a member of the Hot Topic Creator Program and a contributor for the neurodiversity blog NeuroClastic, making comics and illustrated articles about living with autism.