Compassion, Depth and Vision

Cyrus Mejia is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana born on March 27, 1947. This soft-spoken artist, who through his soulful art has enlightened a generation as to the plight of the homeless animals, is also one of the original founders of Best Friends Animal Society. Best Friends Animal Society is a non-profit organization located in Utah that is working to end euthansia of healthy adoptable animals while creating a kinder and more humane world for all animals. The Best Friends philosophy and approach has always been one of respect, diplomacy and humility. Cyrus Mejia is the epitome of this philosophy.

And as for Cyrus Mejia's art ....it is a true reflection of his unbridled passion and love for the amazing animals and the living earth. Just like the artist himself, his art reveals many mysterious layers. The longer you observe his pieces, the more is revealed and truly appreciated. When you listen to Cyrus, you hear a man who is philosophical and curious by nature...eager to see the world transformed into a safer and kinder place in which to live.

What were the early years of this artist's life like? Looking back in time to when Cyrus was a young boy in the South, he remembers spending most of his summers during his early childhood on his uncle's farm. This is where Cyrus and his love for animals took fruit and where he made true blue friends with the baby pigs, horses, cows, and chickens, as well as, the family's companion cats and dogs. Through the years Cyrus' interest and love for animals only deepened. After graduating from high school, Cyrus enrolled in community college to study art.

After studying art at Hinds Community College in Raymond, Mississippi, Mejia traveled and spent several years abroad in Europe. His interesting travels helped to shape him into the artist he is today. One such experience would be in 1971 when Cyrus visited a research laboratory in London, England. “I was literally so shocked and moved by what I saw, that I had no choice but to try and begin to help animals in any way that I could, ” Cyrus states. In the years to come, Cyrus would meet the fellow founders of Best Friends Animal Society and that opportunity would indeed unfold.

When Cyrus is asked about a particular animal who has made a particularly meaningful impact on his life, he says, "Habibi. He was a white German Shepherd that my wife Anne and I rescued from the highway in Los Angeles in 1979. "BiBi" as we called him, taught me how to listen closely to nature. He came with me when I first went to Kanab, Utah to help with the building of Best Friends in 1984. Between helping with the building, BiBi and I spent every free moment hiking through beautiful Angel Canyon, exploring nature and just enjoying being outdoors. I will always remember Habibi, which means 'sweetheart' in Arabic."

One particular moving piece of art of which Cyrus has created that garnered much national buzz and awareness is the 575 Project. Cyrus explains, "The 575 Project. I was inspired to create the 575 Project while reading an article on animal euthanasia statistics. In the U.S. there are between four and five million homeless pets put to death in shelters every year, simply because they are unwanted! Five million a year is 575 each hour! The 575 Project is a memorial to these unwanted pets. These artworks are made using objects collected from shelters such as dog collars, rabies tags, pet food cans, and cage ID cards. Please visit my website to see and learn more about the project."

Cyrus continues, "My latest work is a series of paintings titled "Face to Face." They are large paintings that are of close-up views of dogs and cats. "When we normally look at faces, we use a more sophisticated part of the brain than when we look at objects. Dogs and cats are living, breathing sentient beings, not objects, but we treat them sometimes as disposable objects. By painting their faces larger than life and putting them up at our eye level, I am bringing a view that is often overlooked and sharply into focus."

"I believe that art can and should play a role in society. Art can grab the attention and shine a bright light into the dark corners of our world. What happens to homeless pets in shelters is one of these dark areas that I hope to illuminate with my artwork."

"The painting process fills me with a sense of awe. From concept to composition, out of chaos into harmony – I become immersed. The doing of it connects me to the un-broken circle of life. The animals that appear in my work know only this un-broken circle. We humans perceive ourselves as being outside and alone. If there is a message in my work it is that we are, each one of us, connected to the circle. We belong. But we also share responsibility for the balance and harmony of the whole picture."

"For me the process of art making and the subject of the art I make are one and the same - the quest for balance and harmony. Emotional colors, spontaneous lines, light from within, layers of paint that influence each other, equal emphasis on negative and positive space. These are some of the disparate elements that I struggle to bring into balance in a painting. That these different things can be brought into harmony speaks about how all life is connected."

Cyrus Mejia lives in Kanab, Utah with his wife Anne and their family of dogs and cats. Cyrus Mejia's stunning and dramatic paintings hang in public and private collections across the country. Original oil on canvas paintings, giclee prints and commissioned pet portraits are all available on his website http://www.cyrusmejia.com

Cyrus also asks that you please join the discussion about compassionate living and art for the Kindness Revolution in his always interesting community on the Best Friends Global Network at http://network.bestfriends.org/outside

Discover the compassion, depth and vision of artist Cyrus Mejia.

Cyrus Mejia
http://www.cyrusmejia.com
http://network.bestfriends.org/outside

by Michelle Buckalew