In the city of Cuzco over the last years urban culture has broken out with force. This includes instances such as break dance, MCs, DJ, and graffiti. Many young people try to express themselves freely, whether with body movement, rhythm, music, or through painting on walls.
Grafitti is an expressipon of many youths. More and more are trying their hand at it in order to express themselves and protest the many injustices they see around them. To make graffiti is to do art. It is to take your thoughts and ideas and create an images that communicates them and that gives a message.
One young graffiti artist who is getting more and more well known tells us how he began.
My name is Victor Juanico Venero and I am 100% from Cuzco. Since I was a boy my urges have turned more and more to art. In 2002 and 2003 I started to like urban art. It called me. I saw the way of expressing my feelings, not in words, but in drawings of lines and points in a variety of colors and in this way say lots to many people.
I started out using stencil and bombs (bubble letters). They are like blowing a gum bubble. I began my practice of doing graffiti in some abandoned properties, on some walls, and forgotten dumpsters. Sometimes I sought out an illegal experience and that made other people uncomfortable. In 2005 I started getting to know other people like me and we shared the same art. These were people from Chile and also from Argentina. I like painting odd things in my art and drawings. I like to do a mixture.
My artistic name is VIK.CROBIO. It is born from personages, paintings, and graffiti that I make. The first part, the origin of my name VIK, my real first name, and CROBIO from microbes in Spanish, microbios. Since I have done a lot of work and it is found in many different places I think of my work like bacteria, microbres, that multiply out there.
By training, I have a degree (bachiller) in graphic arts from the Autonomous Superior School of Fine Arts, Diego Quispe Tito of Cuzco (ESABAC). I spent seven years of my life studying there. The first years I did drawing and sculpture, before going to engraved drawings and graphic design. I also like music. I have a group where we mix fusion reggae with experimental reggae. My strength is murals. I have never studied painting. Since I was little, though, I did it. I used aerosol as well as brushes in a mixed technique. Over all the years I have been working I have improved considerably.
I also do work that involves interior design. Many of the businesses in which you will find my work contacted me through art fairs and some contests in which I have participated.
My philosophy is simple. I am a vegetarian and I love life. I also respect nature and seek my space in order to express myself freely. My graffiti is not about painting just to paint. I seek out things like dumpsters, abandoned walls, places that can be improved by a little color in the midst of their abandonment. That is where I place my signature.
Some of my professional achievements as an artist:
– Participant in national graffiti competitions.
– Gold Medal, Class of 2012 ESABAC
– Second Place in the National Contest of Visual Arts “PREDICARTE” In the event of SANTO DOMINGO.
– Presentations with well known graffiti artists.
Just like VIK.CROBIO, there are many other artists who try to reach people through their work. They may be trying to make the urban scape more beautiful or protest against something. It is good to support and appreciate this kind of art, since in it there is no violence and only messages.
Contact Information:
Vik.crobio@hotmail.com
www.facebook.com/vik.crobio
Cel: 984424392.
