Nikko Mundacruz: “The images I create begin with the search for amateur photographs, mostly found online: many pictures of landscapes and figures that I then select to compose scenes, following the situations that arise by combining figures from different photos.”
How and why did you start your artistic career?
My career has roots in my childhood: I used to draw a lot from an early age, mostly copying photos and comics.
But I remember two specific moments as a child when I became intuitively aware of two aspects of representation.
One was when I drew some stylized little spiders and realized that every shape has its own shadow that makes it three-dimensional; the other was when my mother drew a table in perspective and I understood that all things are distorted according to certain rules.
How did you discover your medium and why did you choose it?
In my third year of high school, a classmate invited me to attend a small landscape painting workshop held by an artist from Venice.
It was a very important opportunity, as I realized that this technique gives me the greatest freedom of expression without worrying about possible mistakes or second thoughts.
It was also my first mature approach to color. Since then, I have always used this technique because of the many possibilities it offers for using color— from glazes to thick brushstrokes, flat fields to gradients, and much more.
Can you tell us about your creative process? How did your work come about? How long does it take you to create a piece? When do you know it’s finished?
The images I create begin with the search for amateur photographs, mostly found online: many pictures of landscapes and figures that I then select to compose scenes, following the situations that arise by combining figures from different photos.
These compositions are then digitally sketched and modified in order to achieve a cohesive atmosphere. The time it takes to finish a painting is quite variable: considering that the photo research and sketching may take hours or just minutes (if I already have suitable images in my archive), the time I spend painting—usually broken into three sessions—ranges from a few hours to two weeks.
Once I reach a state similar to the digital sketch, I move on to finalize the work by defining and detailing only certain parts of the painting.
Who are your favorite artists? Which ones inspire you?
The artists I’ve been particularly following in recent years are muralists, illustrators, or animators such as Aryz, Min Yun, and Alberto Mielgo.
I’m fascinated by how they manage to merge and harmonize two-dimensional elements with three-dimensional ones.
In addition to these artists, I always keep an eye on more traditionally oriented painters such as Caroline Walker, Benjamin Bjorklund, and historical figures like Solomon Joseph Solomon.
