Summer time is beer time, and there’s no better beer than Sol. Because art is way better than ads (see above), we’ve teamed up with Sol and invited some of Mexico’s best young artists to create some gritty, authentic Mexican artwork. No Old EL Paso art here, this is the real deal, straight from the pueblos of Mexico, capturing the colours and the attitude of one of the most vibrant places on earth.
Our second artwork comes courtesy of Raul Urias, a 23-year-old illustrator and graphic designer based in the city of Chihuahua. Dynamic, bright and distinctive (just like Sol), Urias‘ work draws from comic book art, pop culture, and puts a surreal twist on traditional Mexican imagery. For more Raul Urias awesomeness, check out his Facebook and his Behance profile.
We spoke to Raul about the evolution of art in Mexico, his inspiration, and finding his own artistic voice. (Luckily language is a barrier that art can overcome!).
What inspiration do you take from indigenous Mexican culture? I like that the culture of my country is rich in traditions, rituals and visually has great iconographies that differentiate us from the rest of the world. Our culture and people inspire me.
What excites you about contemporary Mexican culture? Personally I’m excited to see how old traditions evolve over time – street art is a great example. In Mexico there is a big explosion of street art (graffiti) and in many cases, it is based on classic Mexican imagery, but taken to a new level that is based on contemporary styles. I think that gives freshness to the same culture, tanking up old customs and adding new visions.
What is the world’s biggest misconception about Mexico? I think that mainstream media, like film and TV, has made the world believe that everyone in Mexico has a donkey and wears a sombrero, and that all we have are burritos, soap operas, old comedies like “El Chavo Del Ocho”. But Mexico goes far beyond that, it’s a historical culture, it has many traditions, and I think the world is generally unaware of them.
What inspires you? To me as an illustrator my everyday life inspires me, what I hear, I see, what I like, people I know and places I know, all this inspires me to have an identity and to be more authentic in my work.
What’s something people might not know about Mexico? I think many people have a concept of Mexico that is totally traditionalist, but right now I think especially Mexico City is a metropolis that brings its culture to contemporary life. You find a wide variety of thoughts and cultures reflected in art, illustration, music, design and day to day life.
Explain your process when you make art. I always start with the concept when I start work with a client, or a brief given to me by a customer. But when it’s personal that’s when I like trying to be more conceptual and do several sketches to see which is the best way to convey the message that I want to convey. I spend most of my time working with references – not only illustration, but music, art, whatever else is on hand. I then make sketches, and then my final strokes. The last steps of the process – ink, colour, etc – are completely mechanical without much creative work, so I much prefer the concept and sketch process.
Tell us about your first memory appreciating or making art. In my case, I spent my youth reading comics and watching cartoons – my dream was to become a cartoonist, but then I switched to being an illustrator.
Why is Mexico beautiful? For the love of its people, their customs, food, and family – Mexico is a beautiful place. I invite you to come and meet Mexico to understand what I mean.
Why is Mexico ugly? Mexico is only ugly thanks to a few people and almost always, it’s the politicians who govern us and promise the people fast escapes from the social and political problems which we live with every day that cause this ugliness.
What is your favourite piece and why? My favourite piece is a drawing I did for a contest for a shoes brand called “KANGAROOS”. From there began my career in illustration – I met many people, and found my own voice.
