We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Joaquin Soto a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Joaquin, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

In the last few months I’ve been fortunate to be commissioned to create my first large scale outdoor sculpture piece. The work titled “Deep In the Heart Of Texas” is a piece that will be installed at the new Residence Inn hotel, in my home town of Grand Prairie, Tx. It will be the first thing guest see, as they make their way to the lobby entrance. I was given the task of creating a piece of art that paid homage to the state of Texas. After much thinking, I came across the use of a heart as the main design. I took inspiration in the song of the same name as the title of the piece. The heart was created of mini tessellations in the shape of the lone star state. The base was then decorated with iconic Texas images, and incorporated with Texas license plates. Having the trust of a venue like a hotel has been so impressive. I had full rights and support to make my vision come to reality. To have artistic freedom and trust is really important to me in my art career. In the end it allowed me to make the best piece possible, and really made me challenge myself and grow.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Joaquin Soto, and I’m a metal sculptor from Grand Prairie, Tx. My works of art are created from numerous recycled metal materials. My style or artwork is called, synergetic metal art sculpture. This is an art form where life is given to an object, using recycled and everyday materials. I’m really proud of the people in my hometown, they have taken my work and embraced it. It’s a wonderful feeling to have people reach out to me, and talk about my work. When it comes to my brand I want people to know that each of my works are unique in their own way. I cant exactly replicate my work from piece to piece, but this makes my work unique in so many ways. My overall mission in my work is to give life to items that have been discarded or seemingly overlooked. This ties into my personal life, as I’ve always felt the need to belong and be included. The trauma of being excluded has made me tried to find a special place for each and every of the metal pieces I weld in my sculptures. I sometimes feel as each item is speaking to me and letting me know what they want to be, or where they want to be placed. I empathize with each one of my works and personify them to be treaded and respected in the way that I’ve always wanted to be treated. Loved, respected, and not taken for granted.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

The goal that drives my creative journey is the desire to be able to look back and see my artistic growth. I’m always looking at new ways to tell my story in a new and unique way. I want to stand out and have my work be unique from the rest. I feel that the limits, and potential that sculpture as a medium has not fully been tapped. New materials and processes are constantly being used and developed. Recently i’m experimenting with numerous materials that are different from each other. For example, metal and ceramics. They are both traditional sculpture materials, but very rarely incorporated in a seamless way in the same sculpture. Using numerous materials will help me grow and tell my artistic story in a more professional and make my work stand out on their own. The art world is over saturated, and anything that can help to stand out is always a good way to be seen and stay relevant.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The lesson I had to unlearn recently is the over fixation of wanting to be recognized. I’ve had the pressure of being relevant and staying on top of my craft, that I sacrificed everything else that truly mattered to me. Along the way my time was devoted to my art, and my family was put on the back burner. My wife, and daughter were the main recipients of my bad behavior, irrational thoughts, and horrible actions. Many of that is a bi-product of my stress, ego, and selfishness. Not too long a go my wife Sarah called me out on my actions and priorities and it was a very rude awakening. It made me realize that I was doing a great mistake, and that my art could wait. She posted a quote on social media that hit me to my core. “When you were out building other worlds where was I?” That was a questions that I knew the answer to, and I was too embarrassed to admit. Ive recently cancelled a solo art show and put any works, or commissions on hold. Hopefully its not too late to realize my art is secondary and my family the pinnacle of my life.

Contact Info:

• Website: Joaquinsotosculpture.com
• Instagram: Soto.Sculpture.Studio
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soto.sculpture.studio/