Nemo Aguila is one of the newest groundbreaking artists on the scene. What sets him apart, though, is that he is a 26-year-old multidisciplinary artist.
Yes, multi. Not only is he a visual artist who does paintings, street art, drawings, and illustrations; he is also a toy designer. He is having an exciting exhibit on the 19th of December in the Pocket Universe Art Collective in Saguijo Café + Bar called “Out of Order.” He took time out from his busy schedule to answer a few questions for me.
How did you get into art?
I think it started with chalk drawings sa pader nung childhood days, then nung elementary, more on cartoon drawing. Kinokopya ko yung mga napapanood ko sa TV. Nung high school naman naging distorted figures at morbid yung mga drawings na ginagawa ko. Then finally nung college, I took fine arts at dun ko nalaman na napakalawak at masaya pala mag-art.
What inspired you to get into the different medium you have used?
In terms of using different medium, siguro yung first reason is yung pagiging praktikal, na kung ano yung available na materials sa studio, ‘yun yung gagamitin ko. Second na nakatulong sa akin to use different mediums is yung influence ng street art/grafitti, tapos I fused it with visual arts.
What are you planning to use or play with next? Why?
Collage siguro, tapos on paper naman para bago yung grounds, then application naman ng techniques and styles ng visual at street art yung approach. Gusto ko kasi i-try mag-collage kasi high school pa ata ako nakapag-collage, gusto ko makita yung difference at improvement ng gawa ko.
What inspired this exhibit ‘Out of Order’?
It is inspired by psychological or mental and emotional disorders. Fascinated kasi ako kung paano nangyayari yung mga disorders at minsan parang gusto ko magkaroon ng multiple personality disorder, kahit mga five to 10 na personality siguro.
Some say this subject matter may be a little dark; what would you say about that?
Yun talaga yung intention ko. At first encounter dun sa title ng show they would think that it is a little dark, pero it comes with a surprise kasi karamihan ng previous works ko ay nakakatuwa at nakakatawa.
What are the other subjects that interest you?
Madami! Yung random daily experience ko at experiences din ng ibang tao, childhood memories, Pinoy humor at comedy at yung mga local Pinoy products na hindi mainstream, gaya ng mga junk food na tag-pi-piso. Yung mga drawings ng mga bata, sobrang interesado ako sa mga gawa nila kasi napaka-pure at wala tlagang hesitations yung approach nila. Yung weird cartoons, animals, monsters, subliminal images, science at yung nature’s mysteries, at yung street art at graffiti.
What other profession would you want to try out if you weren’t doing this?
Gusto ko maging National Geographic explorer o kaya isang cooking master chef. Pwede rin scientist o sociologist.
What do you do, aside from this? Do you have a day job?
Art-related pa rin, minsan nag-customize ako ng mga toys o 3D figures at minsan gumagawa rin ng art sa streets. Fulltime artist talaga ako. No day job since 2008.
Where do you see the future of art in the Philippines? What should we do to improve the art scene?
Yung future ng art scene sa Pilipinas in a positive way na lang, siguro yung mag-grow pa siya tapos makapag-educate pa ng mga bata at pati yung mga out-of-school youth, kahit for free. Sana sa future ay matanggap na ng art scene dito sa Pinas na ang art sa streets at graffiti ay pwedeng tawaging art din talaga.
Which artists here and abroad inspire and influence you?
Sa local, number one lagi si sir Louie Cordero tapos sila Manuel Ocampo, Romeo Lee at Igan D’ Bayan. Yung mga street artists/graffiti writers or crews, PSP, CVTY, VOID CREW, GSM at yung mga colleagues ko gaya nila Bjorn Calleja, Epjey Pacheco at Beejay Esber.
International naman, sila Jordin Isip, Clayton Brothers, Souther Salazar, Alex Pardee, Barry Mcgee, Margaret Kilgallen, Michael Sieben, Os Gemeos at The Weird.
Which artists should we educate ourselves about?
Tingin ko yung mga art masters natin, gusto ko kasi alamin at balikan yung mga contributions nila sa local art scene.
“Out of Order” opens on December 19 at The Pocket Universe Art Collective in Saguijo Café + Bar.
