What pieces or projects have you been working on lately?
For the past couple of years, I’ve been working almost full-time on my master’s thesis and creating the corresponding illustrations. However, in the meantime, I’ve also been writing and shaping various picture books that I want to develop, which allows me to keep experimenting continuously.
What did you learn (or unlearn) while working on them?
It has been a very interesting process because along the way I discovered that there are many ways to create narratives—not only those we might call conventional—which also encourages continuous experimentation.
What words, ideas or emotions were going through your head?
For many years, death has been a subject that fascinates me. My thesis project is a visual essay on Pedro Páramo , so I have explored the theme of death from different perspectives. In the novel, it appears in many forms; one of them is the absence of time, and each character dies in different ways, not only literally. For example, in Juan Preciado, hope dies; in Susana San Juan, love dies; in Pedro Páramo, sanity dies. Even Comala becomes a ghost. Being aware of death has helped me enjoy life and the things that happen, even in the small details of everyday life.
Were there any conversations, movies, music, or books that made their way into that work?
Although I wasn’t aware of it at the time, I strongly associated the music of Chavela Vargas with the atmosphere of Comala. Sometimes I would listen to her, and even though it’s not the type of music I usually like, it truly heightened my sensitivity while drawing—I thought she could be the novel’s soundtrack.
What's been the most difficult thing you've faced recently in your creative process?
I think it has been maintaining confidence in my work. I feel fear (which I believe is normal to some extent) when facing the blank page and wondering whether I’ll be able to resolve that illustration, and that delays me. Sometimes I don’t just lose a day, but even a week or more. It’s something I work on daily to improve my confidence in myself and in my work.
What is your favorite restaurant and what do you recommend we order?
I don’t go to restaurants very often, but a few months ago I was taken to one called Papalotl in the Loreto y Peña Pobre plaza, where the paper factory used to be. I ordered fruit with yogurt and honey—very delicious.
If your life were a movie this month, what would it be called and who would write the soundtrack?
I don’t know, but the soundtrack would definitely include Hendrix, Cornell, Layne, Cobain y Billie Eilish. I think Chris Cornell and Billie would create something very interesting together, so the film would be about the search for a place in the world.
Which studios, laboratories, or workshops have you collaborated with recently or would you like to collaborate with in the future?
At the moment, I haven’t collaborated with anyone, but I’m always open to it—whether through illustration or by giving workshops.
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.
There are many, but those who inspired me to become an illustrator are Manuel Monroy, Gabriel Pacheco and Jesús Cisneros. Later, I discovered many more who inspire me, such as Juan Palomino, Javier Zabala, Luis San Vicente, Santiago Solís and Wolf Elbruch. They all share an extraordinary command of narrative, along with an incredible use of color and technique.
