Conversations with Yerubi Ali

I’ve always wanted to do one of these, so this is so exciting omg!!!

My story I’d say is still writing itself, but my name is Yerubi Ali Ferrer. I’m a makeup artist by day and an artist by night.

I was born right in the Bronx. I was born in NYC and shortly after I was about 3 years old or so, my mom moved to Ohio for a fresh start! I’m a NYC girl at heart, with Midwest roots.

Both of my parents are from the Dominican Republic. Making me a first-generation Dominican American. An Afro-Latina at that, the curls and culture don’t lie. I’m very grateful and proud of my heritage. Being a Hispanic Carribean is so special, our music, our lingo, and our being is special, there’s so much talent and light that come from us.

I always tell people I was raised in both NYC and Ohio because I’d spend every summer in the city and go to school in Ohio!

Ohio and New York is so different, but growing up in both made me appreciate all the beauty from both cities.

My whole life growing up it was always back and forth going back to NYC to be with family.

I’d go from my grandmothers and dad side in Washington Heights, with my cousins, aunts, and sisters, all over the city, from the Bronx, Brooklyn, to go to Staten Island to see my cousins from my moms side.

Growing up I’d go from NYC to Columbus so often because of my mother that I remember literally going for a weekend and coming back that same Monday and going to daycare and I told my friends that I went to NYC for the weekend and none of them believed me! When I actually really did, traveling has always been a very big part of my life, road trips with my mom were one of my favorite childhood memories with her.

A big part of my childhood was being raised by my grandmother in Washington Heights.

Which now they call it little Dominican Republic now is NYC, which makes my heart so happy. There’s genuinely no one like my abuela, Elisa Garcia. Elisa, is one of the most loveliest, beautiful, electric beings of light.

I know I am wise from always listening to her, her stories and advice. She is the reason, I’m spiritual, she’s the reason I have so much patience and love.

The fact that I’m doing this article right now lights me up because I knew I had to mention her. Te amo para simpere Elisa, Gracias por todo. Shout out to abuela! The best there is.

Growing up the summers in the city were always my favorite, walking with my dad and cousins, talking saying hello to people in the community and right around the block, playing in the busted fire hydrants with my cousins and friends from the building, kids throwing pop-it’s on the ground, is how I knew it was a NYC summer in my childhood and it’s something I’ll always be grateful for.

Ohio state is a proper, cute and cozy state.

One of the things I’ve always loved about growing up in the Midwest is that Ohio is where you really learn to appreciate what I like to call the “little big things” in life. I call them little big things because all the little moments that bring us joy end up becoming the big things. There’s something about Ohio that lets you slow down and get to know yourself.

Growing up in Columbus made me fall in love with indie music. I went to my very first concert there, seeing The XX at what is now KEMBA Live when I was about fourteen or fifteen years old and I still remember how magical that felt. Ohio is where I learned to love football season, even though I still never know what’s actually going on. This is where I became a buckeye and Bengals fan.

I just love dressing up, gathering with people and soaking in the excitement. It’s where I fell in love with going on trails, being surrounded by nature and looking up at the stars at night. The leaves changing every fall are breathtaking, the warmth of the red brick buildings, the thrift stores in Ohio and there are so many incredibly creative people there. Columbus feels like a warm hug to me.

I think Ohio gave me something I’ll carry for the rest of my life, the space to slow down, get to know myself and create without feeling like I had to fit into a box. It gave me the confidence to become who I am. Ohio will always be special to me because that’s where so much love lives for me. And the sunsets… there’s truly nothing like an Ohio sunset.

New York City is my electricity, and Ohio is my heart.

Growing up in Ohio was definitely different from growing up in New York. Everything felt a little more structured.

I still remember starting school in Columbus without knowing any English I actually only spoke Spanish, and I had a New York accent on top of that. In elementary school, I had to do all of my homework in both Spanish and English. It wasn’t always easy, but looking back, I’m grateful for it because it taught me so much. I even remember struggling to understand the difference between “through” and “though” during a spelling lesson. The day I finally got it right, my teacher and I were both so proud.

I also remember deciding one day that I was only going to do my English homework because I knew I could. My teacher wasn’t very happy about that, but looking back, I think it was one of the first moments where I trusted myself enough to make my own decision. It was a tiny glimpse of the independence and stubborn little spark that would become such a big part of who I am.

My classmates used to laugh at certain words because they’d never heard a New York accent before. In true Ohio fashion, they made sure I learned how to “properly” pronounce everything. It’s funny because now, whenever I travel, I realize Ohio probably has one of the clearest accents in the country. There’s something very cozy and grounded about it.

I grew up on the west side of Columbus in a really diverse community. We moved around a lot, but I’m grateful that I was always surrounded by people from different backgrounds because it made growing up feel rich in so many ways. Looking back, it’s funny because when you’re a kid, it’s just “the west side.” You don’t realize until you’re older that other people have opinions about it.

For me the West side of Columbus Ohio is where all the creative people are from, same with the Bronx and Washington Heights. So much talent lives in the “overlooked” places. I’m just grateful I get to be apart of and from these special places. It doesn’t matter where you come from, what matters is where you want to go as long as you have passion.

For me, growing up in the west side was hard. It was tense and honestly the west side became another chapter of my story.

Home was never really a place to me.

I eventually realized home was something I had to build within myself.

My mom raised us on her own, and she worked incredibly hard. Life at home wasn’t always easy, and there were seasons that challenged me in ways I wasn’t ready for. Looking back, I can honestly say those experiences shaped me. They taught me resilience, gratitude and how to keep choosing joy even when life feels heavy.

When I was seventeen in 2016, life changed in a way that forced me to grow up quickly. I’ll save that story for the second question right below, but it eventually taught me something I’ll carry forever, is that home isn’t always a place. Sometimes it’s something you build within yourself.

I’m just grateful I’m here to live to create, love and adventure. I owe that to myself that’s for sure. I hope to share more on that year in the form of art with you all one day.

Fashion has always been another form of art to me, and I owe so much of that to my mom. She has always loved glamour, and I definitely get that from her. Fashion is a language I’d like to say I’m fluent in. Growing up, we thrifted a lot, and some of my favorite memories are walking through thrift stores together looking for the hidden gems. She taught me something I’ll never forget, it’s never been about how much something costs, it’s about how you wear it.

I learned creativity isn’t about having everything it’s about seeing possibility in what you already have.

My mom knows style and improvisation so with those two things it makes creativity and fashion endless. Growing up I went to a uniform school, a charter school.

I actually loved having a school uniform growing up because I turned getting dressed into a creative challenge.

I’d find little ways to make my uniform feel like me, whether it was my hair, my makeup later on, my accessories or the little details.

Looking back, I think that’s where I learned that creativity isn’t about having more, it’s about seeing possibility in what you already have. So I thank, my Mom.

To this day, I still love thrifting because every piece has its own story.

I love mixing old with new and creating something that feels uniquely mine.

I remember my mom gave me a small sewing kit and I cut leopard print fabric and made my own very skirt I was only 5 years old or younger. Fashion has always been another way I’ve expressed myself.

Now when it comes to beauty, I genuinely believe you can find beauty in everything.

I love beauty, and I love the glamour.

Beauty has been one of the greatest blessings in my life.

I’ve been a professional makeup artist for years now, and I’ve had the privilege of working with over 1,500+ incredible clients through bridal makeup, birthdays, commercial work, fashion shows, and special events throughout Columbus.

Every gorgeous face I’ve worked on has taught me something different because every client has their own story.

When it comes to my clients, I just want them to shine. I want them to know that their shine is special. Makeup just enhances what’s already there.

I love connecting with my clients and seeing their reactions, to the final look.

It truly makes my day being able to share the gift of beauty and seeing my clients light shine even brighter.

The makeup and the blends themselves are only part of what I love. My favorite part has always been watching the instant confidence boost. Whether it’s a bride about to walk down the aisle, someone celebrating a birthday, or someone simply wanting to feel beautiful, I love being part of those moments. Being trusted with those milestones is something I’ll never take for granted. I always tell my clients that their shine is already there. Makeup doesn’t create it, it simply helps reveal it. Beauty has taught me confidence, connection, and the importance of making people feel seen. I think that’s why I’ll always love it so much.

My love for beauty comes from my mom and my grandmother. They both love the glamour, and I definitely inherited that. Even when it comes to my own makeup, I just love to play.

I love changing up my eyes, my lips, trying different blushes, and keeping it fun. I think that’s one of the best parts of makeup.

You can perfect your everyday look, but there’s always something new to experiment with and build on. That’s what keeps it exciting. Honestly, it’s kind of like life. You’re always learning, growing, and building on what you already know.

When it comes to art, art has always been in my life one way or another. I just love creating. I love making things with my hands, whether it’s pottery, painting, or even helping build up plants. There’s something so fulfilling about bringing an idea to life and watching it become something real.

Film has always been part of my life too. Growing up, I was always running around with my little electronics, making videos on my favorite digital camera with my sisters. I documented everything, took pictures of everything, and honestly… I still do that today haha. Singing has always been part of my life too. Music and makeup, makeup and music they’ve always gone hand in hand for me. And fashion, of course. I’ve always loved every form of expression.

My music taste is honestly all over the place in the best way. It can go from old R&B, to 80’s pop, to reggaeton, to hip hop, to an iconic British bands, to Mike Jones, to bachata to house music. Like actually…my music taste is kind of insane haha. I think listening to so many different styles naturally made me want to create without putting myself in a box. Music will always be a huge part of my life, and I never want to limit myself creatively.

The summer of 2025 was a really beautiful summer for me. I was doing makeup everywhere, traveling all over, going to festivals like Coachella, concerts, after parties and shows, and constantly surrounding myself with creativity.

I became so inspired that I just kept writing and writing. Then one day I said, “I’m going to start making music,” and I just full sent it.

I found a producer I connected with on Instagram, walked into the studio, and made my very first song ever, “i will service u.”

It’s a new-wave, dark R&B record that’s sensual, ambient, romantic, and yearning.

At its heart, it’s really just a song about wanting to take care of someone you love.

I’m really proud of myself for putting it out into the world. Releasing that first song reminded me that creating is what I’m meant to be doing. I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me because I already know I never want to stay in one genre. I always want to experiment, evolve, and surprise people.

At the end of the day, I’m just a NYC-born diva, a Midwest emo Ohioan Dominican artist who loves creating. I’m a romantic person who wants to spread joy through art, tell stories about love, beauty, desire, and even the more taboo parts of being human. More than anything, I want people to feel seen. I want people to know it’s okay to feel deeply, love deeply, and shine freely because there’s something rebellious and beautiful about living life on your own terms. I think embracing your individuality is one of the most badass things you can do for yourself.