It is a great pleasure to introduce a fairly new Rebelle artist, Zachary Mojica, whose work caught our eye immediately. His unique style, defined by the quick, intuitive expression of feelings and emotions on the canvas, led us to a conversation about how art can help us process the challenges we experience in life.
Zachary Mojica is an artist based in San Antonio, Texas, where he creates and collects art as a means of escape and catharsis. Zachary loves to create by the pulse of his heart and by letting the wind of his emotions carry from piece to piece.
"There are little things in life where you can have an overindulgence, and art is one of them. Use it when you’re happy, when you’re sad, when you’re curious, or as a way to keep a memory. Art saves."
The scribbles and layered marks are a defining feature of your style. What do these gestures represent for you personally? Chaos, control, or something else?
The messiness in my art, the scribbles, represent my spirit and my vulnerabilities. I don’t ever strive to be super perfect in my work. I just strive to get in and get out, to express, and come back to my life. I’ve had a peer express that my art was like the end of a nerve, raw, sensitive. I really enjoyed this analogy for what my work represents.
Mental health is often stigmatized or misunderstood. Your project of Mental Health Gallery from a few years ago attracted tens of thousands of followers on Instagram alone. What conversations do you hope your work sparks in viewers who may be struggling silently?
I hope it sparks conversations that help form bonds and connections - I hope it helps people feel they are not alone. But above all, I hope it encourages more people to talk and try to express how these certain mental disorders make them feel, because everyone experiences things differently, and by using art to help decipher these things, well, I feel a lot of connections and healing can happen that way, through the power of art and discussion.
See more art from the Mental Health Gallery project on Instagram
In what ways does creating help you process or communicate your own struggles that are hard to put into words?
Creating helps me by allowing me a safe space to be vulnerable and share whatever may be on my heart. It is the ultimate catharsis for me. I feel art should be a safe space for anybody, everyone should be able to create what they want and appreciate what they want!
For artists navigating anxiety, depression, or self-doubt, what advice would you give about using art as a tool for self-care and expression?
I would say that art is the most powerful tool at your disposal. You can have all the flavors and try all the mediums with no repercussions. There are little things in life where you can have an overindulgence, and art is one of them. Use it when you’re happy, when you’re sad, when you’re curious, or as a way to keep a memory. Art saves.
Do you see your art as spontaneous expressions of emotion, or are your artworks more deliberate and structured? Please walk us through your drawing process.
It really depends - sometimes I get inspired by a photo I see, or from something I saw while out and about. While other times I want to create purely from my own juices, my own gut. My mind and creative flow bounce and blend between these two extremes, or ranges. I find this keeps things interesting for me, as I like to keep the door of inspiration open.
"I want to offer my collectors the highest quality digital collectibles or NFTs that I can, with the most realistic textures that I can. I also just really love the textures myself. I can't get enough, and I feel my collectors really enjoy it too."
How do digital tools influence your creative process compared to traditional media? What do they allow you to express that might otherwise be difficult?
Digital tools like Rebelle allow me to create infinitely. I don’t have to worry about space, and I don’t have to worry about using up a precious medium when trying new experiments. I also love how portable it is. I can take it with me on almost any trip! But don’t get me wrong, I love traditional art and do still make it frequently, I just tend to lean more towards digital nowadays. I find it really fun to learn a program like Rebelle, there are so many tips and tricks to discover, it’s like a video game to me.
Zachary, you picked up Rebelle, Flame Painter, and Amberlight a couple of months ago and already created a great portfolio of your artwork. What role do Escape Motions creative tools play in your work today?
These programs play a massive role in my workflow today as an artist working on the XRPL (blockchain). I want to offer my collectors the highest quality digital collectibles or NFTs that I can, with the most realistic textures that I can. So I feel the programs offered by Escape Motions really satisfy this itch for me. I also just really love the textures myself. I can't get enough, and I feel my collectors really enjoy it too.
Your work is presented on all major social media, often producing a lot of engagement. How has sharing your work online and through digital platforms affected your relationship with your audience? Are you focusing on something else across different platforms?
Sharing my work online has made a huge impact on how I connect with my audience. I love talking to people across the globe about art and about heart. I feel that if used right, social media can be an absolutely powerful tool for making those deep connections. I do use my social media differently, however, like for example, on Instagram, I really enjoy making a post and choosing a song to go with it. I try to really use it as a means of escape from other platforms like X, where things move very fast! (This is also due to my utilizing X as a means of doing most, if not all, of my business). I feel it's important for an artist to explore the possibilities of different social media for their work. You never know where your audience is, and sometimes you have to go find them!
From predominantly black and white paintings for some of your projects to introducing more color to fully vibrant pieces, what´s next for Zachary? What would you like to focus on in the next project?
Right now, I’m really focused on self-exploration and creating to my heart's content. To be honest, right now I don’t know what the future has in store for me. I am currently really big into learning about abstract art - that has made a huge impact on me, but I’m also being influenced by Japanese artists that I’m working alongside on Web3. I can only hope to continue honing my skills and producing art that my audience and I both love!
Thank you, Zachary, for opening up about your art and creative mindset. We wish you many joyful days spent doing what you love, exploring new means of expression.
Escape Motions Team
-----
Learn more about Zachary Mojica:
instagram.com/artofmojica/
instagram.com/zachary.scribbles/
