Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Mikhaela Reyes.
Anna Mikhaela, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My work started out as a sort of visual diary—it was a way for me to organize my thoughts and feelings and even process unresolved trauma. As a personal testament to the success of art therapy, using art as an outlet really helped me come to terms with my own mental health issues and find a healthy way to cope through them. While I still use my drawings to communicate these experiences, my work has evolved a bit by moving from introspection to an exploration of cultural anthropology. I’ve developed an interest in complex social structures and I am looking forward to discussing their nuances and effects on the human experience in both macro environments (ex. global forces) and more private settings (ex. niche industries and mindsets). You can expect to see more work from me focusing on the people around me and a closer look into their worlds.
In fact, I’ve already started to do so: I dove into themes of masculinity and social beauty standards in my ongoing Seasons series (Icy and Bask) and set the foundations for a piece discussing indifference and its collective consequences (Ignorance). Currently, I am in the midst of completing a drawing of elite figure skater Ilia Malinin. Witnessing Malinin’s athleticism and insight at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games inspired me to address the duality of athletes: human beings accomplishing superhuman capabilities. I’m fascinated with the extent to which athletes push their own bodies in order to transcend and break that barrier of human potential—all while requiring the same rest, fuel, and love that the rest of us do. I hope to finish this piece in the next month or so and spark some discussions on this juxtaposition.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As a first time mother, my biggest challenge has been finding the balance between time and energy to practice my craft. Internally, I am always creating—I have ideas and themes that I want to explore and am excited about putting on paper, but finding the energy to do so is a battle in and of itself. The past two years have been about learning to delegate where my energy goes. Being a mother means my daughter’s world takes the front seat, and I choose to be present with her in order to enrich her experience in the best way I can. I am the first to admit that I miss my long-winded drawing sessions and freedom to come and go as I please. At the same time, I am the first to drop whatever I am doing and jump in line whenever my daughter makes her stumbling rounds of giveaway kisses. I think the lesson I’ve learned (and continue to learn) is that these two feelings are allowed coexist.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I create contemporary conceptual drawings of the human figure alongside flora and foliage using charcoal and colored pencil to explore themes of psychology and sociology. My work is known for its highly technical renderings of human anatomy as well as the bittersweet, poignant feelings that it appears to invite.
I’m truly proud of the conversations and ideas that my work has helped to encourage. Because my pieces touch on various sensitive themes, discussions around them have led to open, non-judgmental exchanges that have, in turn, led to more authentic connections. My favorite part of this byproduct of openness is the compassion and understanding that have ensued within our community. Sharing personal narratives has granted people the opportunity to meet others where they are and receive their vulnerabilities with kindness.
My efforts to perpetually cultivate compassion within my community are amplified through my collaboration with Kindness Is, a brand based in the north Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex that seeks to foster empathy through creativity. Together, we created a beautifully designed line of apparel and merchandise highlighting kindness as the timeless, ever-growing, and most human capability and cure for indifference. Our collection was received with so much love and I hope it continues to promote positivity and good energy in our community!
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
The modern age has witnessed the rise of AI and birth of generative art, which has really spiked concerns amongst creatives in digitally-driven fields such as graphic design, video & motion graphics, web design, UI/UX design and 3D immersive design. I think (and hope) that this will draw more appreciation for artisans and their work. Crafts like paintings, hand-drawn illustrations, ceramics, sculpting, and woodworking cannot be replicated through any machine—there is simply no match to the human imprint. While AI seeks to promote flawlessness in form and experience, artisans celebrate the very thing that makes life meaningful and beautiful: imperfection. I hope this helps to brings us back to our roots and recognize that perfect is boring and human is beautiful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.annamikhaela.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anna.mikhaela.art/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-mikhaela-art
- Other: https://www.kindnessisshop.com/pages/artist-anna-mikhaela-reyas
