Interview
Edgar Moza
Edgar Moza is a multidisciplinary artist originally from El Salvador. Being an artist for most of his life, he uses art as an outlet to express himself.
His paintings capture a kind of self proclaimed formless chaos put to canvas.
Edgar lives in New York City where he works as a senior designer. You can see more of his studio and artistic process here.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I was born and raised in Santa Ana, El Salvador—a small but culturally rich city. As a child, I was always drawn to things that most kids weren’t. Being shy as a child, I needed art to bridge the communication gap. My mother worked on ceramics and embossed metal art, among other traditional crafts. At 11, she taught me how to emboss on metal. That was the first time I ever felt accomplished after finishing something. As I grew up, I took up martial arts, music, and soccer, but none of those things made me feel anywhere near the level of accomplishment I felt in completing an art piece. By my 17th birthday, I knew I wanted to be a full-time artist. When I told my parents, they hated the idea because they didn’t want me to become the stereotypical starving artist. They had wanted me to become a lawyer instead.”
What inspires you most?
“I’m inspired by human emotions, alchemy, existentialist literature, Kanye West, Pavarotti and music in general. I can’t paint without listening to music.”
“Artists maintain the responsibility to explore what nobody else wants to, and society must allow us to do so without judgment.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“In my work, I try to portray issues relating to mental illness, identity, self-image, and the journey in figuring out my place in the universe. Through my work, I hope to start a conversation about all of this in the Latino community where, sadly, we tend to overlook these topics.”
How would you describe your work?
“My work is an amalgamation of my experiences, both good and bad. The juxtaposition of bold, ‘friendly’ colors, with raw, obscure, unsettling creatures represents my inner demons. These creatures are my metaphorical counterparts, some of whom have been with me since childhood.”
Which artists influence you most?
“Francis Bacon, George Condo, Pablo Picasso, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Kanye West, Bad Bunny, Charles Bukowski and Roque Dalton have all played their part in influencing my work.”
What is your creative process like?
“My creative process is chaotic at first. I start every painting without a composition in mind. It gets more organized as I start pulling the creatures into existence. That’s when the editing starts. Once I’m happy with the composition, I’ll experiment with scraps of paper, fabric, and dried acrylic paint residue to create texture and dimension. At this point, the conversation moves from my head to the canvas.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“The artist shines a light on the ideas that society shies away from. Our role is to start the conversation by any means. We are here to disrupt, never to follow in line. Artists should shape society, not the other way around. This is especially hard to achieve at this time in history.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“My work has been featured in gallery exhibitions in New York City, such as S.K. Artspace, The Living Gallery, Conception Arts, Parlour 153 Artist Salon, The Wrong Biennale, Revolu Gallery, and Dupont Underground in Washington, D.C.
You can view the Revolu Gallery/Wrong Biennale 3D exhibition here.”
Website: www.edgarmoza.com
Instagram: @rottenaesthetics
