Nuno Evaristo/Portugal / interview by black dog bone
Nuno Evaristo/Portugal / interview by black dog bone
do you think your art is giving expression to your feeling. what is art to you? nuno evaristo 100% yes. My art is mostly about my feelings, about my struggles and about the things I see. The things I struggle to understand. and the questions that wonder in my head, pretty much at all times. Art to me is about honesty. It’s about expressing yourself. But in reality most artists and art, is about approval and fucking fame. I don’t need any of that. I paint because I feel the need to speak up. Even if against myself. There’s very little honest art, out there. Or at least I see none. All I see is people painting bullshit, color combinations and very little more than that. But if that’s how they want to express themselves, cool.
when I see your art I feel like the art is coming from a person that has gone thru a lot, and seen a lot. and knows what is really going on.
Pretty much that… When artists say, their style is expressionism, I’m like? where the fuck is there any expressionism in that? if you don’t express yourself it can’t be expression. But some artists think that throwing a bunch of colors into a canvas or paper is a form of expression. Not to me. That’s why I always write words into my paintings, to try and bring my message across, and hopefully leave no doubts hanging. But that’s just me. I feel if I didn’t do it the way I do it, I should just not paint at all. what’s the fucking point? from what I have seen your a very unusual artist. your art look different from other artist. they have a feeling of some one who grew in a village, some one who loves nature, a lot of them look like self-portraits. are they?
100% yes. My art is mostly about my feelings, about my struggles and about the things I see. The things I struggle to understand. and the questions that wonder in my head, pretty much at all times. Art to me is about honesty. It’s about expressing yourself. But in reality most artists and art, is about approval and fucking fame. I don’t need any of that. I paint because I feel the need to speak up. Even if against myself.
Believe it or not I grew up in a big city. But I love nature and I live my life in a way I can respect nature the best I can. it’s not always easy, but i try hard. I don’t kill a fly, I don’t dig a hole in the garden and kill the worms or ants that live in there. I carry them to a new place without hurting them. Respecting nature is super important to me. It really is. Spiders are creepy I should say, and i am kind of scared of them but when i find one, again i carry them to the garden as nicely and careful as i can. And yes a lot of my work is about my own struggles and the way i feel the world around me. I still have a lot to learn as a human being. Really a lot. But I’ll keep on trying.
your images are really raw, has very natural feel. very earthy, it has this real third world feel. real primal. Yes I guess you can say that. I don’t try to make them like that. They just come out naturally out like that. I don’t force nothing in my work or the words I use. I always let things happen, let things be natural. As they should be in my opinion. If you force it, it becomes unnatural, becomes forced.
people feel like its negative when they hear words like darkness or gloomy or sad. what do you feel about words like that. I can understand that people feel that way. But think about it? if my work is about honesty (which it really is in my case) and there’s so much sadness and darkness around us. How can I not use those words and paint about that? It wouldn’t be possible at all. I paint about real things. Some are happy, But the sad ones and the ones i feel need attention. They need to be said and presented to the world. So that people can reflect on the matter.
people who are artist seems to observe everything. there is this quite feeling when you see a drawing or a painting, like a persons moving alone. I can only talk for myself. And I find that to be true. If you are an artist and you don’t absorb everything around you or ignore it. Then I don’t see what is even that point of being an artist or even creating any kind of art. Unless you paint decorative canvas for hotel rooms and restaurants. Sorry. Not for me. The one reason I paint and I make music is so that I can express myself and speak to the world, and make people aware of certain things. That’s what art is all about. That’s the artist job. your from where? what country? I was born in Portugal but moved to London when I was 20 years old. I am now based in Munich Germany. Which is a much better place to be if you are an artist, creating the kind of work Ido…
I was happy I guess to a point. But when I realized how hard was to be an artist of any kind, in Lisbon. I quickly started to be unhappy and pissed off with the world. So I joined a Punk band and put all my frustrations into the music. Painting came later…
like around what age did you start to draw? to paint? Like everyone else I’ve painted and draw as a child. But at the time (like all kids) I didn’t kind think of it as art. That only happened when I was 17. It was then that I realize that I wanted to be a painter, an artist, create art. Abstract….whatever. Just create art that I liked and not art that others like. how was your childhood spent? were you happy, were mischievous? I was happy I guess to a point. But when I realized how hard was to be an artist of any kind, in Lisbon. I quickly started to be unhappy and pissed off with the world. So I joined a Punk band and put all my frustrations into the music. Painting came later…
have you had many exhibitions. why did you choose to be an artist? or start painting? I’ve exhibited my work all over the world. Monaco, Porto, Venice, New York, Paris, Copenhagen, Munich, Dresden, Barcelona to name a few… I think that no one that is honest ever chooses to be an artist. It comes natural, it’s something inside you that awakes. And from that point on, you know you just have to do it. what is your saddest and happiest experience in your life? I don’t have a special happy moment I like, But doing what I love which is painting and making music, is what I love the most. So that is a happy moment that goes on…and I hope it keeps going for as long as I can be creative. As for sad moments what’s the point of talking about them. Fuck Sadness.
what is the most important moment in your career as an artist. Just as I said before. Doing what I love no matter what…And believe me it hasn’t been always easy. Still isn’t easy at times. But you have to keep going and doing your thing. I create art for myself, not for anyone else. I am grateful when collectors buy my work, but that to me is just a bonus. are their any other artist that you really respect? that you really like. Yes there are many. I was influenced by other artists. Like most of us are. Without inspiration, we can’t really start something. Or at least in most cases. And the years go by and you grow as an artist you develop your own style, your own signature. But in all honesty, no one is 100% original these days. Everyone copies from someone else. My all time favorite artist is ANTONI TAPIES, he is the best artist ever, and his work touches me, like no one else. Massimo Note, Anton Unai, Ricardo De Campos, Agostinho Santos, Rosa Ubeda, Per Andersen, John Mckey, Antonio Saura, Emil schumacher, etc…
are there certain artist that you are influenced by. or that you really like? The ones I just mentioned are the most important ones for me… do you like to read? What is the books you like most? I love science books. Michio Kaku I have all his books and I love them a lot. do you like music? what music do you like? I like all kinds of music. As long as its not hip hop and trance shit. I hate that badly. I mostly listen to Hard Rock, Heavy Metal and Punk. And without music I can’t even paint at all. But I also love old school Jazz like Charlie Parker. are you conscious about the world around you? Sometimes yes, sometimes fuck no…. I like to live in my own fantasy world where I can be who I want to be.
your from where? what country? I was born in Portugal but moved to London when I was 20 years old. I am now based in Munich Germany. Which is a much better place to be if you are an artist, creating the kind of work Ido… like around what age did you start to draw? to paint? Like everyone else I’ve painted and draw as a child. But at the time (like all kids) I didn’t kind think of it as art. That only happened when I was 17. It was then that I realize that I wanted to be a painter, an artist, create art. Abstract….whatever. Just create art that I liked and not art that others like. how was your childhood spent? were you happy, were mischievous? I was happy I guess to a point. But when I realized how hard was to be an artist of any kind, in Lisbon. I quickly started to be unhappy and pissed off with the world. So I joined a Punk band and put all my frustrations into the music. Painting came later… Doing what I love no matter what…And believe me it hasn’t been always easy. Still isn’t easy at times. But you have to keep going and doing your thing. I create art for myself, not for anyone else. I am grateful when collectors buy my work, but that to me is just a bonus. have you had many exhibitions. why did you choose to be an artist? or start painting? I’ve exhibited my work all over the world. Monaco, Porto, Venice, New York, Paris, Copenhagen, Munich, Dresden, Barcelona to name a few… I think that no one that is honest ever chooses to be an artist. It comes natural, it’s something inside you that awakes. And from that point on, you know you just have to do it. what is your saddest and happiest experience in your life? I don’t have a special happy moment I like, But doing what I love which is painting and making music, is what I love the most. So that is a happy moment that goes on…and I hope it keeps going for as long as I can be creative. As for sad moments what’s the point of talking about them. Fuck Sadness. what is the most important moment in your career as an artist. Just as I said before. Doing what I love no matter what…And believe me it hasn’t been always easy. Still isn’t easy at times. But you have to keep going and doing your thing. I create art for myself, not for anyone else. I am grateful when collectors buy my work, but that to me is just a bonus. are their any other artist that you really respect? that you really like. Yes there are many. I was influenced by other artists. Like most of us are. Without inspiration, we can’t really start something. Or at least in most cases. And the years go by and you grow as an artist you develop your own style, your own signature. But in all honesty, no one is 100% original these days. Everyone copies from someone else. My all time favorite artist is ANTONI TAPIES, he is the best artist ever, and his work touches me, like no one else. Massimo Note, Anton Unai, Ricardo De Campos, Agostinho Santos, Rosa Ubeda, Per Andersen, John Mckey, Antonio Saura, Emil schumacher, etc…
I’ve exhibited my work all over the world. Monaco, Porto, Venice, New York, Paris, Copenhagen, Munich, Dresden, Barcelona to name a few… I think that no one that is honest ever chooses to be an artist. It comes natural, it’s something inside you that awakes. And from that point on, you know you just have to do it.
are there certain artist that you are influenced by. or that you really like? The ones I just mentioned are the most important ones for me… do you like to read? What is the books you like most? I love science books. Michio Kaku I have all his books and I love them a lot. do you like music? what music do you like? I like all kinds of music. As long as its not hip hop and trance shit. I hate that badly. I mostly listen to Hard Rock, Heavy Metal and Punk. And without music I can’t even paint at all. But I also love old school Jazz like Charlie Parker. are you conscious about the world around you? Sometimes yes, sometimes fuck no…. I like to live in my own fantasy world where I can be who I want to be.
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