Interview with Vilela Valentin

Red and blue are his favorite color: today we want introduce you Vilela Valentin, a young Brazilian illustrator and painter resident in Portugal. By adopting different techniques from oil to watercolor, from acrylic to pencil and gouache and with a style that clearly identifies the homoeroticism and his love for the male beauty, his paintings are identifiable at a glance .

Hi Vilela first of all what is your first name Vilela or Valentin? Could you tell us a bit about yourself, your personality and your background and where do you come from?

My first name is Vilela, I was Born in Brazil, but I live in Portugal since 1990, where I’ve been doing my work. I am a normal gay guy trying with my art show to the people the beauty of male body, sometimes in a funny way, sometimes in a more serious way. To me it’s important to make people understanding and seeing sex with no preconception.

You always seemed to be interested in Illustration and drawings. What attracted you to it and how did you even start working as a illustrator? is this your main activity?
I draw since I was a little boy, my mother always incentivated me and my other brothers and sisters to be interested for all kind of art. I work as a therapist my main formation is in psychology. I am interested to the holistic therapies too.

Which artists have been the most inspiring or influential to you and why?

Many many Artists, like Paul Cadmus, Tom Of Finland, Leyendecker, Harry Bush, and so many others I love.

Your subjects are often painted in red and blue. Tell us something about your technique.

I normally paint in red and blue, sometimes I use dark colors that is the result of the mixture of blue and red acrylic tones . Some details i can use other colors, but in a small amount. Red and Blue will be always my colors. I love this two colors, and we can have many combinations with this two colors, working with it to me is very funny, as if each drawing would be a new challenge. In some way they represents the opposite sex, female and male which when mixed become a third one.

How do you come up with ideas for a new drawing? Have you models that poses for you or do you take inspiration from photos or other ?

Normally the ideas come in the morning or they pop up during the day, I don´t have models but some friends give photos of them to drawing or from photos from net

Sexuality and homoerotism is making a strong appearance in your works. What made you focus on it?

Because I love the theme

Do you purposefully present queer content in your works or Is it more something that comes naturally to you as an artist.?

I think that it is natural, and to me is important show this content that people love but in some way some people are still afraid to talk about it or show it, we can see it when some social networks delete you when you post an erotic drawing, because they see this like pornographic and offensive.

What do you want your viewers (gay and heterosexual) to take away from your work?

Freedom to create, freedom to like without being afraid what society will think about it.

Why hairy bears are your all time favourite subjects?

Because I love them

How do your personal life and experiences influence your art? Is there something autobiographical in your illustrations?

I think so, but maybe my art is my mental world too

How do you resonate with the term queer?

Normally, I have no problems, You see, you are what you are, labels are not important

What are your future plans concerning your art, and what should we expect?

I really let things happen, if you create expectations you block your creativity, it is important for me to let things go.