Instagram: @miguelpangly Facebook: www.facebook.com/miguelpang.illustrations Website: www.miguelpang.com
1. What's your story? Where are you from?I´m Miguel Pang, an illustrator born in Barcelona of chinese and Cambodian parents. I feel I don´t belong to any country or flag, but am part of the world. My story is the one of a very accommodated society of the first world, with very few problems more than those of growing up and dealing with my parents reality which is extremely different. Theirs is an asian point of view of life which can difficultly understand that one can be an artist and live of this profession. Theirs is too, a devotion to work and making money. But also a story of emigrated people, because their countries were in war, having to start everything from zero & trying the best to make a better life for me and my brother. Now I am trying to understand them through a comic I am doing on their story.2. Tell us about your aesthetic.I don´t seek any kind of aesthetic. For me it is more important what moves me to illustrate; the story and the dreams (and nightmares) I want to express. These at the same time give form to my aesthetic.3. What is your favourite medium and why?There is a medium in which I feel more comfortable (and which I suppose also gives form to my style) and it is any non-digital form, specially watercolours. I find it is the most direct way to translate what comes from my head to the paper. However I don´t feel there is any difference between digital or non digital.4. What is your artistic process like?I tend to have different projects going on. The ones that require more immediate response go first. But I like to have different projects on my table and in different states. I feel identified with an interview I once read of Miró (the catalan painter) where his atelier is like a garden that he likes to take care of each day; a bit of watering here, a bit of cleaning there, cutting some leaves… This way of working also goes with my character. I think each artist has to find their own way of working, which is best if its connected to ones way of being.5. Who and/or what inspires your work?I get inspired mainly in other fields which are not those of illustration; such as watching films, reading, going to exhibitions, specially ancient art, etc. But mainly living life (which is the advantage we, artists have), and observing the stories that happen around me. What unblocks me sometimes when I am stuck in a process (and so we can call that inspiration too) is going to the bathroom or taking a shower. Seems that cooling down the attention in those situations opens new doors.6. What role does art play in your life? How does it change the way you view the world?Art in my life both gets intermingled like two snakes that get curled one over the other. That sometimes can be a bit unhealthy for both sides; specially for life. I try nowadays to have my working time differentiated from my life; although they are communicating vessels.7. Where did you study?I studied firstly at the University of Fine Arts of Barcelona, which was definitely a disaster besides some friends and teachers I met. Then I studied in la Massana of Barcelona (with great professionals, teachers and now friends such as Pep Montserrat, Pere Ginard or Arnal Ballester amongst others) and where I learned most of the things of the profession, to which I am extremely grateful. One of things I learnt there and which I find very important in any creative process is the one of taking decisions.8. Where do you see yourself in five years?I see myself doing what I love, maybe still illustrating and doing some other projects. Hope by then to have both life and art balanced.9. What about in ten?I think I don´t have such a power of visualization. :>) Wherever life takes me is ok.10. What do you hope to achieve with your art?I hope to be as sincere as I can with what I want to express. And mostly a recent conclusion with the current world situation of continuous (political, ecological and human) “disasters” one of my desires is to do more positive illustrations, express a bit of love and life in them and maybe contribute with a little grain of sand to some change. I think a positive view of things can lead to changes for a better world.11. Now, tell us a little more about you as a person: what is your favourite food?Lasagna like Garfield.12. Favourite book?Master and Margarite of Bulgakov.13. Favourite genre of music?Any music, depends on my emotional state.14. What are your hobbies?None, just living.15. If you weren't an artist, what would you be?I would be an ecologist or an archeologist.Comments are closed.
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