Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Leticia Ochoa (TropicalRoboto). We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Leticia, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
One of my favorite projects came about while I was volunteering at the Armando Olivares Library in Guanajuato, Mexico, which is dedicated to the preservation and restoration of old books. In conversations with the library’s restorer, Andrés Basurto, I began to have questions about archives and the preservation of objects. What objects do we choose to restore/preserve and why? What have we locked away in time capsules to perpetuate what we consider the most valuable or characteristic parts of our civilization?
At the same time, being surrounded by materials inside the library and observing how time affected them—depending on climatic conditions or the elements used in their production—made me pay more attention to this aspect in my own artistic work. On one hand, to ensure more stable production with greater control over wear or aging, but also out of a curiosity to experiment. I began using materials that degrade quickly—tapes, acidified papers mixed with oils and other emulsions—and leaving them in the sun to accelerate aging. Later, thanks to the creativity of my friend Andrés Basurto, we constructed a machine from common, cheap materials, designed to speed up time’s effect on objects, drawings, and sculptures. I had the chance to apply rapid aging to plastics, papers, sugars, natural fibers, etc.
This not only changed the appearance of my work at the time but also its concept: imagining artworks that look like ancient remnants of our current civilization, false testimonies of the past or of the present projected into the future. What landscapes represent us? Where does our society place importance? How would we tell our story to future—very future—generations?
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m Leticia Ochoa, better known as TropicalRoboto—a Mexican visual artist originally from Tampico, Tamaulipas, now residing in Mexico City. I studied a Bachelor’s in Visual Arts, and I’ve always loved painting. At five years old, I was in love with watercolors and painted lots of whales. Later, I wanted to learn photography and have carried my camera with me ever since. Usually, my paintings and compositions are based on photos I’ve taken while walking through nature.
I paint using a variety of techniques to express myself—acrylic, oil, spray paint, watercolor, oil pastels, and most recently screen printing. I use vibrant, contrasting, eye-catching colors to draw the viewer into an atmosphere that blends the symbolic, the dreamlike, and the abandoned.
My work explores the intersection of the organic and the artificial—flora, fauna, urban scenes, abandoned futuristic landscapes, surreal elements inspired by pyramids and UFOs as agents of external destruction, cartoon characters, and Mexican graffiti culture. I explore the boundaries of the natural as it invades what humans have created once it’s been abandoned and rendered useless—when nature takes back space.
I paint fictions to better understand the world around me, to explain an uncertain future to myself, and I love listening to conversations on public transport or in public spaces.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
What drives me the most to create is my fascination with nature. I love taking pictures of landscapes, birds, and other animals I find on my walks. These inspire me and I use them to build my compositions and concepts. I’m motivated by observing and being present in nature—I love animals and landscapes—and I feel the need to speak about the environmental challenges we’re facing. I believe personal changes matter, but we also need to come together as a community to demand and achieve large-scale changes.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
For me, the best part of experiencing art through creating is getting to know myself, having an ongoing internal dialogue, exploring my concerns and tastes, and even speculating on different topics. I enjoy the flow of ideas, creating intentional fictions, and being self-critical. I also deeply enjoy the sense of community—talking with artist friends and creators from other disciplines, finding common ground, and meeting people at exhibitions where we share experiences or stories similar to mine or those reflected in my paintings. That connection is enriching, and sometimes friends tell me stories that inspire new paintings or drawings.
Contact Info:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leticiaochoac
- Linkedin: instagram.com/tropicalroboto
