We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alfonso Villagran a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Alfonso thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?
Well its always hard to live of what u love but the clue there is to be constant.
The journey is hard and long, but u always have to keep the magic on, trust yourself of what you do and get prepared for receiving lots of no!
The mayor steps since im from Uruguay it was hard from here since our art culture is very low, so my step was to be smart and work in distance with other colleagues from different parts of the word sharing what i do etc… that was a huge sept thanks to the social media!
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’m Alfonso Villagrán aka Artis!, a multidisciplinary visual artist working at the intersection of art, identity, time, and emotion. My practice spans oil painting, drawing, sculpture, installation, and conceptual projects, but at its core, everything I do is about exploring what it means to be human in a world that moves too fast.
I didn’t arrive at art through a straight or academic path alone — it came from a need. From an early age, I was drawn to images, bodies, gestures, and moments that felt intense yet fragile. A pivotal moment in my life was the sudden loss of my father, which deeply shaped the way I perceive time, permanence, and absence. Since then, my work has been driven by a fascination with the ephemeral: how desire, beauty, love, and even life itself can feel overwhelming and fleeting at the same time.
My creative work often centers on the human body — particularly the female figure — not as an object, but as a territory where emotion, vulnerability, power, and contradiction coexist. I’m interested in tension: between intimacy and distance, preservation and decay, what we show and what we hide. Paper, for example, has become a recurring material in my practice because it embodies fragility; it’s honest, unforgiving, and temporary — much like the experiences I aim to capture.
Beyond the studio, I’ve developed a strong practice of collaborating with brands, architects, and cultural institutions, translating artistic concepts into immersive experiences, site-specific installations, and visual narratives. I don’t see art and business as opposites — I see them as languages that can enrich each other when handled with integrity. My role is often to bring depth, emotion, and meaning into spaces or projects that risk becoming purely functional or commercial.
What sets my work apart is its emotional clarity. I’m not interested in decoration or trends — I’m interested in resonance. Whether it’s a painting, a sculptural object, or a large-scale installation, I want the viewer to feel something immediate and personal, even uncomfortable at times. My work doesn’t try to give answers; it creates pauses — moments where people slow down and reflect.
What I’m most proud of is having built a practice that remains honest to my inner questions while continuously evolving across disciplines and formats. I believe everything is “paintable,” transformable, and open to reinterpretation — including pain, memory, and desire.
For anyone encountering my work for the first time, I want them to know this: my art is an invitation to look closer, to value the present moment, and to remember that nothing — including us — is permanent. And that’s precisely what gives life its intensity.
Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
Nft was a show case on how lots of certain people made a lot of money and it was a perfect moment where other could laundry money.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Show my works in the most best seller galleries and museums.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Artisxlovers.us
- Instagram: Artisxlovers
- Twitter: Artisxlovers
