F  L  A  U  N  T

 Up and coming LA-based artist Yin Shadowz, also known as [Meagan Boyd](http://www.meaganboyd.com/) continues to bring her limitless creativity to her art, as she blends reality with dreams all at the same time. Focusing primarily on acrylic work, Boyd uses her work to express her womanhood and signs of empowerment. Especially since her pregnancy, Boyd tells Flaunt that her process of conceiving life is only inspiring her even more as an artist. “I think being pregnant has definitely changed the way I view my work,” she says. “Because I have a life inside of me, I actually found myself becoming really really creative.” While the content of Boyd’s pieces might seem hard to figure out for the average art consumer, a focus on serpents throughout her work drives the message she hopes to convey to her audience.   **"**Serpents are depicted throughout history and mythology to often describe this evil, dark aspect of femininity and temptation, especially in christianity. They're associated with the devil and things like that," Boyd tells me. “When I was in art school and I was researching about Eastern art, a lot of these painting that have serpents in them are actually a symbol of empowerment and I started to find that the snake is often a symbol of eternity (the infinity symbol itself has a snake in it)," she continues. "I think infinity or eternity is very connected to pregnancy and rebirth. It's kind of like you’re releasing a part of yourself, and you're becoming part of infinity when you’re giving birth.”  While grounded in present day, Boyd says with her new exhibition, she likes to recreate images, ideas, and narratives. “One thing that has really inspired me as an artist is creating work that is seen as wild and primitive,” she says. “I try to get to a really primitive place, I try to reduce it to symbols and just rebuild. I just hope that it can be something that’s inspiring people and that people can relate to it.” Touching on themes of faith, sexuality, rebirth, and inner-growth, 'Neon Fauves' is an imaginative exhibition that dwells in enchantment and possibility, reminiscent of surrealist painters Remedios Varo and Leonora Carrington, as well as Frida Kahlo's unique take on magical realism. Be sure to check out Boyd new solo exhibition titled _Neon Fauves_ at the Chinatown-based gallery [Leiminspace](https://www.leiminspace.com/) this weekend before it comes to an end on September 1st.  * * * Written by: Eva Barragan and Corey Fuller Images by: Meagan Boyd