Leaving a scar in the skin of eternity! Interview for VERSUS MAGAZINE (english translation )

Thus the artist describes his main purpose.

Hi, Nestór.  You’re Mexican, so you come from a country where many cultures met and are still mixing with one another. How much of it is there in your art?

Nestór Avalós – Well, my first contact with art and spirituality was the Catholic religion, the primordial one in Mexico.

I come from a very small town, so the practice of the religiousness was or still is at some point pretty close with the everyday life. Personally my art is a reflex of my spiritual believes and that aspect stills evolving constantly. I couldn’t say that the pieces reflect the whole multicultural richness that exists in Mexico.

I don’t touch much my ancient pre-colonization roots, the only one that I could consider that accompanies constantly my work it’s the figure of the DEATH, the one who walks through the world of the living and the dead, through universes beyond times, a figure of completely justice and wisdom, revealing us the mysteries of the unknown. At the end everything have an influence in our  art, with consequences in every act of expression,  from the most simple act of creation in nature to the most deep and abstract concept inside our minds, from love to hate, from joy to sadness, from birth to death.

What language do you see as your mother tongue? And which culture did give birth to you?

Well, my mother tongue it’s Spanish and well my Nationality it’s totally Mexican, I’m pride to be Mexican, even that our image to the outside world got stained by the greedy and mongoloid political class, by the narco phenomena ( that it’s a pretty complex topic, that  it’s a result of the extremely bad management  of  politics, the dishonored society, the bad management  of the resources of the country, the lack of opportunities, etc, etc, etc.. ) , by the lazy people, the corrupts…. But at the end this country it’s full of good things that maintain it alive.

I analyzed your portfolio and notice that you really like black and white, although you use some color too (namely red). How do you decide which option to choose?

I decided to manage the monochrome tones in a unconscious way to give more like a sinister aspect based in some old school heavy metal artwork , but it changes and has to change in order that my mind and soul changes, I’m talking of the developing of my spiritual believes and the contact with the Artes of Magick.

So concepts turned into more abstract and deep, so the play between the black and white really has to have a deeper significance in it, it’s like the constant battle between light and darkness and how this fight creates sparks of horror and beauty, in this case images, the concept to turn the Unholy into Holy, day and night, this is the flame of the black light that fiery shines in the dark.

But I’m experimenting with colors right now, I started to add the color red in some illustrations because I felt that the projects really needs it and I decided to use blood, it gives another level into the experience of the process of creation, using blood was like using or making an offering of life to the pieces, to the forces manifested in that piece, an expanded world of colors appeared when I started to use oil paint it was  a reasonable and important step that I needed to give into the evolution of the project, it brings another dimension of possibilities in every piece.

Which technique do you use for artwork such as the cover for «The Obedience to Authority» by Autokrator or «The Throne of Armageddon», by Soulburner? They look like photos, but at the same time they don’t seem to be photos.

Its mixed media, photo manipulation drawing and so on, these pieces that you mention are totally digital. 

I see you also paint using different materials. Which have you already used? Which purposes do they serve? And which are your favorites?

Yes. I used acrylics, oil paint, ink, blood, pencils, etc.… the purpose depends on the concept of the work, most of the times in the editorial field they prefer a total handmade illustration, trying to rescue and add this old book atmosphere and appearance. For musical proposal it’s most common to manage the digital techniques but as I said depends of the concept and idea of the project.

I designed a group of your artworks by the title “Crossed References”. When I look at them, I see Christian iconography, including religious popular art (e.g. «The Torment of Sophia» or «Qayin Vessel» or an an illustration with a head crowned with thorns), XVIIth century art («The Fall of Man» or «Murderer of Elohim»), traces from fantastic art namely coming from films (e.g. « Qayin»). Do you agree with me?

Yes, you’re right, my first contact with art was in the churches, all the iconography that surrounds their art, the histories in the bible, the lust, the hell, the demon, the apocalypse and the damnation, all into the myth, turning what they consider holy to the unholy or  precisely into what I consider “holy” . I try to maintain this religious aspect because I make an effort to materialize something untouchable, something that lies beyond words: THE DIVINE or what I consider divine, the inner world.

I love your studies on death. Are you fascinated by that theme? Or were they a demand from one of your clients?

It was a natural relation created by the project, as I said the project it’s a manifestation of my own spirituality, the world of the unknown, and death plays an important matter into this devotional and religious aspect, I aboard it as into a different perceptions where the resurrection, reconstruction, destruction, the end and beginning of cycles transforms the way of how do I realize the “reality.”

I saw some pictures of merchandizing (t-shirts and sweats or hoodies) in your site. Do you use the illustrations you produced for the album of the band or do special ones? Well the applications of the art pieces in t-shirts, merchandise and so on depends of the band, sometimes they ask for my services as a designer and other they make them by their own.

Do you do exhibitions of your work?

I just have one complete exhibition of my art two years ago; it was a small one and a contribution with the X Gallery two years ago too. But I really would like and dream in have more exhibitions; I think that the art being seen face to face creates a stronger connection and exchange of energies.

Where did you learn your art? How much of self-taught techniques are there in it?

I’m a self initiated in them, of course in the university I took some subjects of different techniques, but they were pretty superficial, recently I started with some oil painting classes also I’m looking to learn how to apply different techniques into this project and give it another measurement to the project.

What is your main dream in this moment?

I have a lot of them, jejeje, from some material goals to something more mental and spiritual aims.  I would like to touch every corner of the world with my art, leave a scar in the skin of eternity, transcending physically ( Art ) , keep creating art, explore more the editorial world ( illustrations for books, magazines, etc)  expand the horizons of the project,  in a not distant future I would like to concrete a cloths line.

How do you imagine your life will be in 20 years?

Being successful doing what I love and being surrounded by with the people that I love, have my own family, keep knowing such amazing people that inspire me every day with their work of life, such as an artists, writers, musicians, fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters, as a greater beings that choose to live their own existence by their own choices.

At the end, I just to want to be happy.

Interview: CSA

Quotes:

“[…] the only one […] that accompanies constantly my work is […] DEATH, […] a figure of complete justice and wisdom […]”

“[…] the play between the black and white […] it’s like the constant battle between light and darkness and how this fight creates sparks of horror and beauty […]”

“[…] I make an effort to materialize something untouchable, something that lies beyond words: THE DIVINE or what I consider divine, the inner world.”

Contacts:

https://www.facebook.com/NestorAvalosZarateOfficialBlackArtsSite
http://www.behance.net/NestorAvalosOfficial
http://www.pinterest.com/nestoravalos616/pins/
http://nestoravalosofficialblackartssit.tumblr.com/
https://ello.co/nestoravalosofficialblackartssite
https://www.artstation.com/artist/nestoravalosofficialblackartssite
https://www.instagram.com/nestoravalosofficialblackarts/
https://twitter.com/NestorAvalosZar