Cristina Cebrecos is a 17-year old multi-medium artist from Lima, Peru. Cebrecos is in the “early stage” of being an artist, as she puts it, and therefore feels vulnerable. Nevertheless, she is already creating impressive work that will seemingly only be improved upon. In our interview, she explains how her city drives her to create and how she is constantly trying to reflect the complexities of the human mind in her work. Read the full interview below.
What mediums do you work in?
I try to work with everything, primarily graphite and oil paints. On occasion I use gouache, acrylics, colored pencils, magazine cutouts or fabric.
How would you describe your style of work?
Expressive. During my artistic process I force myself to forget about trying to understand and instead just express how I feel. It’s impulsive and intuitive. For example, most of the time I feel confused, so most of my art illustrates my confusion. I gravitate towards faces to express my current state of mind and then let my hand do the rest. Most of the time I have a strong urge to implement beauty in the shape of flowers into the often disturbed portraits I create, so I do it as a way to create contrast. I try to focus on painting what is inside of me instead of trying to understand it. Still, I don’t fully understand my art and it does not fully understand me.
Who/what are your biggest inspirations?
In terms of what drives me to create, my emotional state and the city that I am based in. The urge to illustrate the complexities of the human mind has always been a huge motivation for me. I also rely on artists for guidance, Pablo Picasso and Francis Bacon, Jenny Holzer and Barbara Kruger are incredible figures that have inspired, guided and given me the confidence to make what I make.
How do you go about starting a new piece?
Most of the time it just happens. There is always something that clicks inside of me and makes me want to create, so I follow that instinct and I do. My goal is always to create not only something beautiful in every sense of the word but something incomprehensible.
Describe your ideal future in terms of working / creating / living out your dreams.
I want to stop trying to understand. Right now I am at an early stage as an artist, I am learning and therefore I am vulnerable, this means that I will make some mistakes and not know what is going on. Right now this terrifies me. So in the future I want to be fully at peace with not understanding.
What is your ultimate goal as an artist?
To make honest, genuine, truthful art that reflects the human mind and its infinite complexities. But also to just enjoy the process and create a space where art is appreciated.