Yahir Mariles Guzman was born in Zihuatanejo, Mexico, but spent a majority of his life growing up in Santa Paula, California. In 2025, Mariles Guzman graduated from the University of California-Davis with a Bachelor’s Degree in Studio Art.

“My vivid recollections of both my early childhood memories and my dreams inspired this recent series of paintings. Minute details in dreams remain as powerful symbols in my waking life, proving to confuse the boundaries of my lived reality. My paintings offer me an opportunity to explore the mystifying blend of fantasy and truth. Through a carefully selected color palette, I examine the visual representation of sound and motion, awaking the images and enlivening the scenes. Following in the footsteps of artists such as Edvard Munch, Edward Hopper, and Rockwell Kent, I paint primarily from emotion and memory. Reference photographs and drawings serve to inspire finer details, but I seek to capture my reflections on those conscious and unconscious memories.”