What pieces or projects have you been working on lately?
Lately, I've been experimenting with combining new materials. I'm developing hand-molded ceramic slabs on pre-carved wood. I feel that both contribute very distinct textures that flow beautifully together.
What did you learn (or unlearn) while working on them?
What I continually learn each time I immerse myself in a project with new materials is to accept uncertainty and not cling so tightly to the outcome I imagined. And patience.
What words, ideas or emotions were going through your head?
I think that the excitement of being able to see the finished work, and as I notice that the project is taking shape and working, I start to come up with new similar ideas, bigger and more ambitious projects, maybe even make a whole series with this.
The word perseverance I think it's one of the things that's most present in my mind; sometimes it gets difficult, but the more work I produce, the more enjoyment and the more alive I feel. Besides, production leads to more production, or to more ideas.
Were there any conversations, movies, music, or books that made their way into that work?
This particular production was influenced and inspired by a series of old photographs I found while browsing the web. Most of my work takes photographs or paintings from the past as references. Even so, I strive to be very sensitive and perceptive to every stimulus around me, be it a new neighborhood I explore, a fragment or piece of clothing I saw in a film, a door, a phrase, etc. The influence may not be directly reflected in the work, but certain things are stored in my imagination for future projects.
What's been the most difficult thing you've faced recently in your creative process?
So far, everything has been relatively good. I'm working with people who understand the concept and have managed to deliver what I need. The ideas are flowing smoothly, and I'm successfully bringing my vision to life. Now we'll see how people react.
If your life were a movie this month, what would it be called and who would write the soundtrack?
Die Hard 1000. Lately I've been listening to bands with a lot of synthesizers and a very retro sound, like luxury elite.
Which studios, laboratories, or workshops have you collaborated with recently or would you like to collaborate with in the future?
I'm constantly doing risograph prints with Rock & Amistad Riso Press, they're very good at printing. I'd like to find a good ceramics studio; that's been difficult. And in the future, hopefully not too distant, I'd return to metal engraving with Bunker Amarillo.
Recommend one or more artists you follow who inspire you, and tell us what you like most about their work or their way of working.
In this city I'm constantly discovering new and fascinating creative minds, which is very stimulating. I recently went to the expo of Gabriel de la Mora and the meticulousness of his work is amazing. I really like the graphic design and the imagery of bettyarbol. I love the protagonist role that pink plays in the work of Gibran Turón. And I still have so much to discover!
A Chilean illustrator and painter based in Mexico. His work is distinguished by its versatility in expressing his imagination. It is always linked to a graphic and figurative attempt to capture the complex behavior and functioning of humans.