Today I’m awake

What pieces or projects have you been working on lately?
I’m exploring two paths at once. On one hand, I’ve been working with pigments and charcoal, opening myself to the possibility of truly enjoying painting. On the other hand, I’ve returned to analog photography, and I now have about six rolls of film waiting to be developed. In both processes, I try to capture emotions and fragments of memory, attempting to recreate moments from my past: in painting, abstractly; in photography, tangibly.

And through it all, the self-portrait is always present.

What did you learn (or unlearn) while working on them?
I learned that I enjoy solitude and working in a space where no one disturbs me just when I’m focused and listening to music. Those are my personal moments.

What words, ideas or emotions were going through your head?
Everything contributes to me. Everything transforms me.

Were there any conversations, movies, music, or books that made their way into that work?
A lot of erotic literature by Anaïs Nin. Morning Light by Locust. Words from David Lynch (specifically the YouTube video titled “DAVID LYNCH chillin, listening to the rain, smoking and reflecting on art!”).

And the late-night calls with my favorite person, Vanessa Guerrero.

What's been the most difficult thing you've faced recently in your creative process?
I realized that the creative process isn’t measured by perfection, but by what it leaves within you. I was hard on myself, blind to what was actually working, until I learned to see beauty in imperfection.

What is your favorite restaurant and what do you recommend we order?
Yamamoto, in Cancún. Whenever I visit a Japanese restaurant, I follow a very personal culinary ritual: a premium Sapporo beer, jasmine tea, and miso soup. If I decide to order something else, I always choose a dish with eel.

If your life were a movie this month, what would it be called and who would write the soundtrack?
Today I’m awake, with a soundtrack by Jaime Sin Tierra.

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.
This is a complex question because many people inspire me, but the one who has accompanied me since childhood is Anthony Bourdain; he is a personal inspiration.

Artistically, someone inspiring me these days would be Anna Prangishvili; her photography feels very intimate and personal. I find it fascinating.

Musically, I would recommend Nala Sinephro; her music makes me feel otherworldly, and I enjoy trying to decipher how she creates each song.