Artist Who Started Losing Vision at 28 Discovers Solace and Expression Through Painting: An Interview
# The Tenacity of Art through Ed Urena’s Lens: A Voyage of Vision, Resilience, and Personal Reflection
Art has historically been viewed as a means of escape and personal expression. Yet, for the artist **Ed Urena**, it represents far more than just a creative pursuit—it serves as a healing process that alleviates the hardships life has dealt him. His artistic path, celebrated for deeply emotive pieces such as *“This is America”* and *“Girl On Fire II”*, is intricately linked to personal tribulations, victories, and a gradual loss of sight that, rather than hindering his creativity, unveiled new facets of his artistic vision.
In a special interview with *My Modern Met*, Urena shares how painting has provided him comfort, helped him confront trauma, and ultimately, transformed his perspective. His narrative is one of discovering clarity amid literal blindness, with his art acting as both a guide and a release.
## **Visual Hurdles and the Start of an Ongoing Journey**
Born with myopia, a young Urena developed a unique connection with his environment—perhaps more closely than others—because the very act of seeing presented a struggle. Artistic expression became his inherent ally, particularly during his childhood in the Dominican Republic. Constrained by his visual challenges and often pushed to the periphery of classrooms, Urena devoted a significant portion of his school days to sketching, despite facing reprimands. Drawing evolved into more than a hobby; it was a refuge from the social difficulties he encountered at home and in school, where being visually impaired and gay made him a target for bullying and exclusion.
However, Urena’s relocation back to New York City during high school reignited his artistic flame. A fortunate class choice—*Art 101* in college—proved to be pivotal. What started as an assignment to recreate **Vincent Van Gogh’s** iconic *“Starry Night”* led to acknowledgment from his professor and the realization that art transcended mere leisure—it became a lifeline. Painting morphed into a therapeutic endeavor.
## **The Unforeseen Loss of Vision: A Crucial Moment**
At 28, Urena encountered a crushing diagnosis: **retinoschisis**, a degenerative condition resulting in rapid vision loss. What he anticipated to be a routine visit for **Lasik surgery** swiftly turned into emergency surgery—**a vitrectomy**—to preserve the remaining 75-80% of his sight.
It was the revenue from one of his paintings that financed the procedure, signifying a poignant instance where artistry directly safeguarded his vision. With a substantial part of his sight now compromised, Urena donned an eye patch for six months, utilizing his dominant eye for whatever painting he could undertake during that period.
In spite of the visual obstacles, painting evolved into an essential therapeutic outlet for Urena. He initiated an internal struggle, dedicated to overcoming these challenges by concentrating on what he *could* produce instead of what he *couldn’t perceive*. “Losing 20-25% of my vision was truly transformative,” Urena reflects, acknowledging that art enabled him to process the weight of his reality in ways language could never express fully.
## **The Therapeutic Potential of Creativity**
As he physically recuperated, so did Urena’s artistic expression. Through abstract works like *“Girl on Fire II”* and powerful portraits such as *“This is America”* (inspired by **Donald Glover**), Urena’s art transcended personal healing—it became a symbol of resilience. His creative methodology entails a careful, detailed process. “I usually start with a rough sketch… followed by painting the darkest and lightest sections. I view it as assembling pieces of a 3D puzzle, where shapes and tones gradually unveil the complete picture,” Urena elaborates.
Surprisingly, his partial blindness receded into the background of his artistic endeavors. Once engrossed in painting, his sensory focus became so centered on the activity itself that his impaired vision was relegated to a secondary concern. Ironically, the concurrent challenges posed by a capitalist landscape and the escalating cost of materials present greater hindrances to his artistic expression than his visual impairment.
## **Sources of Inspiration: From Lady Gaga to Lana Del Rey**
For Urena, music acts as a profound source of inspiration—particularly the mesmerizing creations of **Lana Del Rey** and **Lady Gaga**. The bold and unrepentant portrayals of emotional depth and vulnerable strength by these artists resonate with Urena, whose artistic journey has similarly delved into themes of identity and resilience. Their music videos have deeply influenced his aesthetic—infusing passion and emotion into his artwork.
Pieces like the aforementioned *“Girl on Fire II”* evoke the intensity, emergence, and struggles commonly reflected in the music of Del Rey and Gaga,