Hello Alisson and welcome to NotRandomArt. The current issue is revolving around the problem of communication and identity. Is there any particular way you would describe your identity as an artist but also as a human being in dynamically changing, unstable times? In particular, does your cultural substratum/identity form your aesthetics?
Through my work, I want people to discover their own identity and become their own work of art. I believe this is possible when you find out that you see the beauty in others because you have a divine beauty inside of you. When you share this beauty with the world, you celebrate your uniqueness, sculpting your talent into something tangible. You are the artist of your own life.
The whole concept of the soul and body taught by Buddhism and Hinduism also plays a great part in my work, in the way that I see myself not as my physical body, but as my soul who uses the body as a vehicle to my life experiences. One day I can be a real life cartoon, and then the next day I can be a pop art Hindu God. I can live my life floating through different personas and still keep my own self.. The confusion of the genders and sexuality are also a big part of the aesthetic of my portraits, in which I try always to be a genderless character so people can figure out by themselves who or what am I. Yes, I do like to confuse people.
Would you like to tell us something about your artistic as well as life background? What inspired you to be in this artistic point in your life when you are now?
I come from the punk and goth subcultures, and started experimenting with make-up and art by the age of 15. Artists such as David Bowie and Nina Hagen inspired me to create my looks, which turned me into an avant-garde freak show goth drag performer. As the idea of becoming a walking piece of art grew stronger, I started taking self-portraits to immortalize these creations. These portraits ended up grabbing the attention of curators who showed interest in displaying them in local art galleries. It was a very interesting experience to see my work moving from the dancefloors to the gallery walls. I use my face as a canvas and make-up as the tool to express myself. I want to empower people through art and make-up, inspiring them to become their own masterpiece.
Could you identify a specific artwork that has influenced your artistic practice or has impacted the way you think about your identity as a participant of the visual culture?
It all began when I first saw Boy George in full drag singing on the tv back in 1986. I was still very young but that changed my perception of identity completely. I wanted to be like that, fabulous and flamboyant. I met David Bowie through him, and after hearing the verses of “Rebel Rebel” for the first time, I knew I had found myself. I wanted to be my own work of art, to get everyone puzzled about what or whom I was, and express myself through different identities whose lives are only registered in portraits.
Since you transform your experiences into your artwork, we are curious, what is the role of memory in your artistic productions? We are particularly interested if you try to achieve a faithful translation of your previous experiences or if you rather use memory as starting point to create.
I think my work carries a lot of the weight of my previous experiences as, even though I’m always portraying new characters and new identities, the real me is still there. And as an out-of-the-closet queer person since my teenage years, you can imagine I’ve been through a lot. I keep thinking about ways to inspire new generations of queer folx and to make them feel loved, important, and seen, in every artwork. I want my memories to convey a message that you are the artist in command of our own life and nobody can take that away from you.
What is the role of technique in your practice? In particular are there any constraints or rules that you follow when creating?
My biggest obstacle when creating is the fact that, since I paint everything on my face with makeup, it’s not like I can take weeks to finish a piece – like you’d do with an oil painting, for instance. I need to start and finish everything within hours. So I need to be really mentally prepared to sit in front of a mirror for a few hours and paint something from beginning to end. I have to be in tune with what I’m feeling at the moment and what I’m trying to convey. That really creates an emotional attachment to the whole process.
How do you see the relationship between emotional and intellectual perception of your work? In particular, how much do you consider the immersive nature of the viewing experience?
One comment that I always receive about my work is people saying “oh, I took me a while to realize I was looking at your face and not at a painting!”.
I get super excited every time I see that happening. It’s the immersive nature of the viewing experience as its best – people looking at an artwork and then realizing after a while that they are actually looking at a real person.
The characters who live inside Planet Gothz are whimsical, funny, sometimes scary living creatures. Everybody is invited to visit this planet as long (and that’s mandatory) as you have a good sense of humor.