Vacabrea By Tanya Herrera

Pyrographed Cow Vertebrae About the Artist  I am a 37 year old first-generation Costa Rican American, born and raised in the Bay Area. I have made art for as long as I can remember. It was the only thing I wanted to do as a kid. I experimented with traditional mediums through middle school, high school, and into college, challenging myself to ask, “what else is there?” I continued testing a wide variety of modern art techniques until the age of 25. I discovered pyrography by trying to make the impression of a stencil on a piece of wood in a different way. Since then I have been burning pyrography in the traditional method going on 13 years on wood, 9 years on leather, and another 7 years on bone. Last but not least, I’ve been making heat molded vinyl records with metal leaf and resin for 5 years. I have chosen to keep alive antiqued techniques by recreating them for a modern age, all the while intentionally reducing my carbon footprint through repurposing materials. I’m still constantly building on skills and talent handed down through genetics creating every piece I make to reflect the rarity that is me.