Interview
Andre Francis Fila
Andre Francis Fila was born in 1981 in São Paulo, Brazil. He is a Brazilian tattoo artist, painter, and artist living in Coventry, UK. He specializes in black and gray, realism and graphite.
Andre went to college in São Paulo, where he studied fine art.
Andre has collected more than 25 awards for his work, having participated in several workshops and students’ competitions around the world.
What is your background and how did you start your journey?
“I was born in the São Paulo countryside, where I started my journey into the art world and my career as a tattoo artist. Later, I traveled around the world, finally settling down in the UK with my family.
My first significant experience with art was when I was around 3 or 4 years old and I saw some canvases done by a cousin who was an artist. They inspired me to draw everything that I saw. I started to draw and paint, trying to replicate everything that I liked, such as trainers or the cartons in my dad’s collection. I began by drawing cartoons using classic oil. Soon, I was spending most of my time drawing, painting, and sculpting. I also started working with airbrushes, personalizing cars, bikes, helmets, motorcycles, gates, and more.
While still in college, I developed an interest in art events. After attending some tattoo events, I got interested and began to learn on my own. I practiced by either tattooing myself or a canvas. A few years later, I took some workshops with experts and further advanced my skills.”
What inspires you most?
“What inspires me most is people, and the differences between them physically, socially, psychologically, and culturally. With so much diversity in the world, everyone has a different worldview, and that’s what I try to convey in my portraits. I like talking to and understanding what each person thinks and feels so I can turn it into a painting.
I also like to venture into the world of superheroes and cartoons. In graffiti, I like to bring reality into the drawing, conveying social inequality and political points through fantasy arts.”
“I like to portray the story as it is, and I try to explore all the concepts.
First, I look at the environment I’m in. Then I create narratives through which people will connect with that reality and the feeling that I’ve managed to bring out.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“Nowadays, when creating my art, I like to mix themes like realism, portraits, pop art, surrealism, fantasy world, and graffiti. My favorite style is portraits in oil painting, like realism impressions.”
Which artists influence you most?
“Many artists have influenced and inspired me over the years. Some stand out, like the surrealist Salvador Dali with his incredible creativity, and the Italian realist Caravaggio showing raw reality with an air of drama. The psychoanalytic theories developed by Sigmund Freud, Albert Einstein, Walt Disney, and Basquiat influence me greatly.”
What is your creative process like?
“Before I do a portrait, tattoo or painting, I try to understand how the client feels about the chosen design — whether they like the photo, what happened on the day that photo was taken, and what it represents. Then I try to pour all these feelings into the piece so that in the end, the outcome is exactly as the client imagined.”
“My work is an art about the soul. When I make portraits, I want to bring out the feelings that the person conveys — the details that make each of us unique. That is also what I hope the viewer sees.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“Art has been present in society since the earliest communities. They used art as a means of communication and self-expression, and this continues to this day.
Art has a direct influence on society, including portraying patterns. Since it’s a universal language, it is used to denounce, enchant, provoke, include, promote change, and make social criticism. Thus, art played and still plays a very important role in the construction, interpretation, and reflection of reality and social issues.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I have been in very many exhibitions in Brazil, some places in North America, and now I’m currently in the UK and Europe. If you want to see me or get some of my work, you’re welcome to contact me on my social media, website, or email.”
Website: www.trezeink.co.uk
Instagram: @andrefilatattoo
