Today we are in conversation with graphic artist from Lima, Daniel Suarez ; Danny
Tell us a little about yourself [who are you - what do you do - what is your background]
I am a native of Cajamarca, province of Peru. My mother worked in a telephone company and my father was a national police veterinarian, because of this during my childhood our family had to move several times to different provinces of the country, due to terrorism and the internal war that we were experiencing. When I reached adolescence, we established ourselves in Lima. Once in Lima my interest in art grew little by little, I was about to apply for a degree in architecture, in communication sciences, but I ended up studying graphic design and theatre.
I ended up falling in love with human anatomy as I entered the world of acting, theatre and body expression.
Can you tell us about your artistic journey since the beginning up to date [how your research developed, transformed and in what direction and why]?
I am dedicated to digital illustration and 3D character development
I started to draw when I was a teenager in middle School, because I failed the art course and needed to get my grade back, I was so embarrassed that I went right in and ended up hooked in illustration. I studied graphic design at the Peruvian institute IDAT, where I connected a little more with the digital world.
I ended up falling in love with human anatomy as I entered the world of acting, theatre and body expression. This defined my artistic point of view.
What is the evolution that you have seen in the Digital art? How do you see the tech evolution in your work and aesthetic?
I think one of the main evolutions that digital art has had is the power that machines now have. My first flirtation with digital illustration was with a mouse, on a 286 PC, with MS Paint, on a 32 x 32pixel canvas, painting Pixel by Pixel and it was wonderful.
Now artists do not use the mouse much, we have tablets and we do not even need to be tied to a computer to be able to draw, we can move around with a tablet or play and sketch on the cell phone. And we can literally sculpt in 3D like we were doing it with clay and even able to play around doing so in VR.
What interests you the most in digital art? In this area it seems that most of your work has Dark themes and a lot with a very deep woman connection, why is that?
I think one of the things I enjoy most about digital art is the speed with which you can sketch ideas, edit them, modify them, take them to the next step, try different options of both colour and shape.
About the connection in my work, I have always been struck by the strength of the female figure in nature and in life. Everything is born with them, from them. This fact of being able to form life inside your body, is as incredible as it is fascinating to me. It is “to create” at its best.
On the dark theme that is in my work, I think it is a way to release emotions to accept them. The feeling of liberation when finishing a job is incredible and it is when I need to be in my own world the most that I grab the pencil and paper.
What is integral to your work as an artist? How do you decide what theme or subjects to pursue?
I have two main objectives for my work, the first is a very personal one, which is to achieve a kind of catharsis and emotional release. The other would be to make those who see it connect with the image, that they can find something that makes them identify themselves, perhaps that is why the gaze is so present in my paintings, finally it is our main mean of contact and our window with the world.
Another thing that seem super important to me in my work is the use of anatomy and corporality for expression, maybe influenced by my theatre work, through it try to connect with something more intimate and personal.
I believe that the basis of art is something as basic and natural as observing, assimilating and reinterpreting.
You master different means and techniques of expressions; how do you choose among them and what are the drivers for such choice?
It is not really a conscious decision; it depends much more on my state of mind. The subject that I am creating also depends on the connection I have with the technique that I would be using at the moment.
As an artist what is the best piece of advice you have been given?
"Always use reference".
I believe that the basis of art is something as basic and natural as observing, assimilating and reinterpreting. It is essential to know some basic rules, both of colour theory, anatomy, and a long etc.., to be able to break those rules conscientiously and then be able to play freely, then go back to see our references and make sure that we are on the right path.
Name three artists that inspire you the most.
Salvador Dalí, I love his dream language, his ability to do realistic work in an absolutely imaginary universe, it is a very clear example of having had an incredible capacity for observation, and then having the freedom not to limit himself to what he sees.
H.R. Giger, I feel that he managed to create a parallel universe, it is almost impossible to see one of his works and not know that it is his work, in addition to playing with anatomy in a very rich way.
Anthropus, his level of anatomical knowledge and the handling of the digital medium that it has, are simply incredible. He is perhaps the artist who most encouraged me to dedicate myself to the digital medium.
Your favourite artwork of all time?
Michelangelo's Pietá.
The whole story that sculpture tells is just wonderful.
If you had to choose one favourite artwork of yours, which one will it be?
I would have to choose "Self". I think that is where I managed to play with different ideas and capture it in a single image.
What does “dare” mean to you in your life and in your work?
I think the feeling of not knowing what to do next, right now with the world situation and when I start to draw, I have an idea in mind, but it’s getting stronger with each stroke.
To view more of Daniel Suarez's work, click here.
Interview and Article by
Diego López-Mobilia
Daniels Portrait by