Meet Anahi Ibarra | Artist, Poet & Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anahi Ibarra and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anahi, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Honestly, being creative has always been IN me- it is not something I pursued, it’s just something I am- a creator. I came to the realization pretty early on that this was a gift I had to share with the world, I just didn’t know how to do it. In fact, for a long time I didn’t identify with being an ‘artist’ because I did not really know what that looked like for me. I was always caught up with trying to figure out life that I gave little attention to my art. It wasn’t until college that I realized the type of impact it can have on people and spaces. I always tell this story of how during undergrad at UCSD I worked for an office space called OASIS. I really loved this job and the work I got to do mentoring students. One day while I was meeting with my student she had commented on the tiny rooms we used to meet in inside the office space and said it made her feel like she was in a closet because of how small and plain it was. Of course, I thought about how I didn’t want my students to feel like that, especially when I was trying to build meaningful and deep relationships with them. So, I decided to take it upon myself to revamp the space by painting calming and peaceful paintings and hanging them up around the rooms. I didn’t add my signature to them because I didn’t know if I would get in trouble or not but soon enough people started to talk about the paintings and how much they loved what they did to the space. Once my boss figured out it was me, he commissioned me to make a bigger painting for the lounge and till this day it is still up. That was one of my first commissioned pieces and that experience alone gave me so much confidence in my ability to change a space and cultivate people’s minds. I fell in love with the process ever since.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art sets me a part from others because it represents me, and I am one of one baby! haha In all seriousness, my art is a reflection of who I am inside, the things I care most about, and the places that have made me. I love to embody the community in my art. The way I look at is similar to when you listen to your favorite rapper, singer or band. You hear their stories in their music, you learn a little bit about who they are, what they think, and what they care about just by listening to their songs. That’s how art is too. When you look at my art you see South Central, you see Watts, you see community, love, stories… you see ME.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Honestly, my favorite thing about the city is visiting the places and people that feel like home. The places that make the community what it is so that means I’m pulling up to the tamaleras on the block for breakfast. I’m pulling up to the fruit vendors for a snack and buying myself some flowers on the street just because. We pulling up to the taco spots and drinking agua frescas with our meals because you can’t go wrong. That’s the LA I grew up on and that’s the LA I know.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to take a moment and thank every single person that has supported me on this journey so far. The people who believed in me, those who were inspired by me, who were captivated by my work and knew I would grow in my potential…. Thank you! A special thank you to those who have commissioned pieces from me as well. It still means the world.

Website: https://hellopoetry.com/Ibarraaanahi/poems/

Instagram: @ibarraaanahi

Linkedin: Lizbeth Anahi Ibarra

Facebook: Lizbeth Anahi Ibarra