10 Questions with Roberto Valdez - Xango

Outcast. Rebel. Hellraiser. Beautiful. Abstract.

These are just a few of the adjectives and thoughts that invigorate the design of the drawing that encapsulates Xango’s mind. He began his love affair with art as a child when his mind wandered within the throes of comics, cartoons, video games, and music that, in turn, painted the corners of his mind with wonder and delight. As Xango grew into adulthood, so did the metamorphosis of drawing in scrapbooks; a kaleidoscope of brightly colored canvases ran up and down the walls of his home, and soon, he was meticulously inking naked skin with images that could easily break the ice between two strangers, who don’t even speak the same language.

These days, Xango is focused on learning new art frontiers. Virtual reality design, 3D printing, and continuing to hone his skills as a writer. There are stories to be told. Comic books to be printed. Dimensions to conquer. Art that feels the need to speak. This underworld has teeth. To be seen in the obscene. In the past. In a dream. The footsteps of our past, in the digital and everything in between. Xango continues to expand his portfolio, and we are all better off.

@xangodesign

ARTIST STATEMENT

The artist has an incurable habit. It is to adorn any blank canvas as he sees fit. To beautify or mystify. He paints to express vision, to please and engage the senses. His affair with art began at an early age as a means to escape confined conditions that tethered others. The exploration with the power of the pencil sparked his endless imagination.

Some say it’s a blessing, some a curse. The need to turn a naked cloth of cotton into a portal to another world on a daily basis can be maddening and wonderful in just two opposite strokes of a paintbrush.

Inspiration comes in many forms. To absorb the world around us. Patterns on a wall. The pulse of rhythm dances out the speakers. Creativity can be found anywhere, where there is a trace of imagination, and the artist often sleeps within its wonder.

INTERVIEW

First of all, introduce yourself to our public. Who are you, and how did you develop into the artist you are today? 

Most have known me by my pseudonym, Xango. Growing up on a healthy dose of cartoons and video games, I began drawing before I turned five years old as I spent many days hanging out at the library devouring art books and comics. By the age of 15, we were screen printing and developing our own film in photography, among learning many other mediums. Soon after high school, I moved from Texas to Chicago to go to one of the major art schools, but I was offered an apprenticeship as soon as I arrived and began learning to tattoo and pierce blank, naked skin. I have tattooed for 20 years, and during that time, I was painting, drawing, and creating new works, but after years of tattooing and wearing down my body for countless hours, I began to slowly drift away from the tattoo business and began to learn new skills and techniques in college. to ponder the future to learn and expand and began to learn other mediums as well as digital art to enhance what I was already creating in the studio. 

Your self-description as "Outcast. Rebel. Hellraiser. Beautiful. Abstract." is quite evocative. How do these descriptors inform your artistic identity and the themes you explore in your work?

When I create art, I do so with the sole purpose of pleasing myself. It all boils down to freedom, as I follow no rules or style. I create my own path and art that pleases me, solely for self-expression, living on the edge of chaos as my art is always evolving. There are no limits in exploring a variety of styles, mediums, topics, or themes that are bizarre and misunderstood. Artwork may be interpreted in many ways as some of the more abstract elements are explored by the viewer. Beauty is appreciated the most when compared to its opposite, the grotesque, and they're interchangeable. Often, I will marry possible styles together, and you'll see the opposite in some of my work. Everyone will never accept my art, and that's fine, as varied opinions and thoughts on my work will raise hell in some individuals. I will live posthumously, and other generations will appreciate my art.

Your artistic repertoire includes painting, virtual reality design, and 3D printing. How do these diverse mediums contribute to the expression of your creative vision? And how does your approach change across different mediums?

Learning new ways to explore three-dimensional forms in different ways allows me to apply this to what I'm experimenting with a new breed of art that lives and breathes, which I have called sculptural paintings. The work takes a long time to complete, but by learning different techniques, I can overcome many limitations that can plague any vision as I continuously experiment in the studio. Techniques are carried across many mediums as I combine many tools and materials that allow me to express in any which way I please, giving me complete creative freedom without any obstacle or limitation. 

Demons and demonic creatures seem to be recurring motifs in your paintings. What draws you to explore these themes, and what emotions or narratives do you aim to evoke through them?

I began creating creatures when I was a child and began this affair with those dark things, as I was deathly terrified of them but curious at the same time. I often wondered if other dimensions did exist. So, I began to ponder the ideas through drawings and paintings. Fear of pathogens, war, diseases, and apocalyptic prophecies prompted me to confront those themes in my art. Light can only be appreciated by understanding the dark. Without shadow, light would be blinding. Why do we have day and night? Sorrow and happiness? Death and birth? Without one, the other would not exist. They're two facets of the same coin intrinsically laced into one cohesive form. So when drawing on a blank piece of paper, in order to create any shape in any space, you need both shadow and light to give it life and make it real. By confronting nightmarish or hellish creatures, we may learn to be brave enough to confront our own personal demons while appreciating a work of art that challenges rational thinking. 

Could you share insights into your creative process? How do you go from the first idea to the final outcome?

Most of the time, they are spontaneous birthings, sometimes visual or ideas written for my comic book. At times, I begin with an idea loosely sketched on a drawing book, then begin to explore the piece with my brushes. Formulating the piece as I visualize the color scheme. When creating new works, if I'm not working on a specific subject, I begin to prime the canvas and will then begin to add odd or abstract forms, loosely letting the brush dictate where to go, from here on out the paintings become automatic. 

In what ways do you see your work challenging or subverting traditional perceptions of beauty and the grotesque? 

These are just perceptions, as opinions vary among different groups. I find beauty in everything. I can admire animals, flowers, rainfall, even mud and cracks in the ground, broken trees, insects, and or the stains of rusty objects. It's all a process of life: the dissolution and creation of natural orders. There are people out there who appreciate and find beauty in my work, as these darker images do seem grotesque or bizarre to most, but again, perceptions are varied with different groups. So, I must say: it should be viewed for what it is. Art.

Your work seems to exist at the intersection of the tangible and the virtual. Can you elaborate on how this duality influences the viewer's experience of your art?

Art will always evolve, and we are crossing into an abyss of infinite possibilities. Everything is but an illusion, so with art, we want to please the viewer, transport them into another world, and transform their perception as they gaze into a work as a means to escape the constraints and problems of their daily lives. Art that lives at that intersection of the tangible and virtual has the potential to leave a permanent imprint in the viewer's psyche.

As someone who describes themselves as a rebel and outcast, how do you navigate the boundaries of acceptability and taboo in your artistic expression?

After tattooing for many years and adorning my body with that art form, you get used to living on the edge of what's acceptable or the norm. I'm being interviewed for a book that sheds light on the problems that someone such as I encounter on a daily basis. People judge a book by its cover, so with my art, you must see beyond the surface and examine the piece in a different manner. Sure tattoos are more mainstream nowadays, but by many cultures they are still viewed as a taboo. For me, it's an act of expression, liberation from constraints or taboos; I reject oppressive rules that limit who we are. Complete creative freedom of expression will always dominate my being. I don't care to please everyone. 

Looking ahead, what new frontiers or themes are you eager to explore in your artistic practice?

My work will continue to evolve. I have ideas for my art, but as it's always evolving, it's hard to say what I'll be working on or experimenting with next. As far as themes go, I plan on pushing the boundaries a bit more so we will see this art of mine in perpetual motion, never ceasing to try new things and learn ways to apply them to my practice. I have amassed over 45 scripts that I have written for comic books that have been edited along with characters for a comic book imprint with various titles, most notably a story taking place in a dark dystopian future where dark sciences and sorcery reign supreme.

Lastly, what is one piece of advice you would like to give to an emerging artist?

A lot of artists strive for instant success or recognition, and they get discouraged by rejection. Take those receptions and work on perfecting the craft. This can take many years, as there's always room for growth. Continue learning and never give up on your dreams. A true visionary will envision something grand and see their vision through, never surrendering regardless of obstacles or opposition. 

Artist’s Talk

Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.