I reached out to the fantastic multi talented illustrator Cristian Rodriguez or Rod Art who i was told about through a referral from a friend who was impressed by their work in predominantly black inks. I’ve been following him for a few months myself now. After browsing his portfolio online, I was really struck by the emotion and nuance conveyed through his use of fine and bold black lines. As i did with Moritz i reached out via Instagram to inquire about their availability for a short interview, expressing my admiration for his style and use the answers for my own specific project im doing on the blog. Cristian was receptive and more than happy to take time for my own endeavour and help give insight into a working artist.
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background in art?
Art has been part of my life since I can remember, at first I didn’t see it as anything special, until I realized that it was the best way I had to communicate and show who I really am. I am a graduate of the arts academy in Cuba, and despite my youth, my goal is to be able to live from what I am really passionate about.
How would you describe your artistic style?
My art on instagram is just entertainment, I don’t consider it my style or the greatest artistic weight in my overall work. Being academic, academic drawing, and painting predominately, but the main thing is the idea, the concept. All my most ambitious projects have the greatest conceptual strength.
Can you walk us through your creative process?
The process is simpler than it seems. Everything is based on moods and motivations.
What inspires you to create the art that you do?
The drawings that you can appreciate through my account are the result of a stage in which I only needed to drop the pen, for a moment to find myself through drawing.
How long have you been active on Instagram as an artist?
I’ve been on instagram for a few years, but I started using it to publish my work and show my art a few months ago through the recommendation of some friends.
Can you tell us about your most popular or well-received piece of work on Instagram?
I consider my greatest achievement to be my thesis, which is as yet not published, of the drawings that appear on my account, everything is generally well accepted, the average number of likes surprises me with respect to the number of followers, but the numbers are not something that worries me, my only goal is to share my art with the rest, no matter how many there are.
Have you had any formal art education, or are you self-taught?
As I said before, I graduated as a plastic artist at the Academy of the Art’s in Cuba in 2019.
How do you handle creative blocks or artist’s block?
Creative blocks are something normal that we should not fear, sometimes I just scratch a blank sheet without thinking about anything until something comes up, but don’t force it. Something very important is to consume a lot of visual information, it doesn’t matter if it’s art or not.
Have you ever had any exhibits or shows of your work?
Yes, since I was a student I have been building a fairly broad portfolio for my age, which I hope to continue expanding in later years.
Can you tell us about a specific project or commission you have worked on that you are particularly proud of?
I recently collaborated with a friend’s magazine which is about to come out, illustrating one of its sections with my doodles. When I publish I do not do it with the intention of selling though, if someone is interested, the price is agreed personally, according to the design and work done, etc.
Can you share with us some of your favourite artists or art movements that have influenced your work?
Well, my reference since I was a student was always Van Gogh, now for these recent drawings, I have relied on several Instagram artists, including some of my classmates, the reference can come from a word to a line.
How do you handle negative feedback or criticism of your work?
The truth is that I have been lucky not to come across many negative comments since I published my drawings, but perhaps coming from studies with very demanding professors, all criticism brings out the positive, and if it is with the aim of simply destroying the obvious. I simply try to be faithful to the idea and the routine that I have created in the profile, in addition to interacting with other accounts.
How do you stay current and informed about new developments in the art world?
I usually consume a lot of art, but I’m not the closest person to that world either, I simply try to keep up to date with what is most associated with my work.
Can you tell us about any upcoming projects or pieces you are working on?
For now, I don’t have any project close to being carried out beyond that magazine I told you about earlier.
Have you received any recognition or awards for your work?
I have some recognitions in salons held in my country, but nothing special, the real prize is that your art is fairly broad.
And closing of how do you use Instagram to promote and share your art and and do you have any advice for aspiring artists on Instagram?
My advice is not to make content with the aim of growing online, the important thing is to make a quality product that fills you personally, if the pieces are of quality, it is not necessary to please anyone, they alone they will achieve growth.
