The hyperrealism of Chrispapita

05/07/2018 Victor Hugo Moreeuw

Christian Escobar, better known as Chrispapita, is the fifth artist to take part in the Verdandi, a project which is created and developed by VHMOR Artes Visuais, a brazilian enterprise. He is from Guatemala, with a master degree in odontology and self-taught in the arts field.

In an interview with VHMOR Artes Visuais, Chrispapita says that he began developing his hyperrealism technique while researching the influence of lighting on color selection in odontology. As a child, he drew in pencil what he saw in TV programs, then a fascination for human anatomy arose and with it came his first drawings reproducing faces.

“I know that I have a mission in this life, I don’t know yet what it is, but I do know for sure that through the art I will find it. For now, I am happy to know that this search makes me enjoy my life, love and be very happy. “

Chrispapita says that he admires the work of the great master Caravaggio with his technique of dark chiaro and the drama created with the use of the illumination in the paintings. He also keeps inspiration on the master of hyperrealism Chuck Close. Having such good references, it is easy to see the intentions in the works of Chrispapita. His artistic process consists at first in doing the photographic production with the person who has been chosen as a model by him.  Then, after selecting the photograph that really expresses what he wants to represent, he begins to draw in pencil and finally to paint with acrylic paint.

Below you can read the Chrispapita artist statement:

“Since my childhood, I thought that odontology would be a perfect amalgam between art and science. I learned a lot about the anatomical forms of the human body, the physiology of vision, the physics of illumination and colors, and all this was automatically a magnificent school of art. I’ve never been taught art classes, I’m completely self-taught. I became interested in urban art and human faces and I had learned to draw portraits. I did not expect to become an artist, but it was impossible not to choose this path after learning so much in dentistry about art and science.

Life is the great motivation for my art: I intend to celebrate it and give the human body the well-deserved tribute. I try to express the constant search for myself, inspired by urban cultures, with their problems, existences and visions of the cosmos. Everything is interlaced, the macro and micro universe influences our lives as human beings and our daily life is a fantasy within reality.

I started by using pencils to draw human faces, then I accidentally tried the acrylic paint and I fell in love with it. I like this because its drying is so fast and this is a challenge for me. I try to convey my own emotions, what I paint will depend on my state of mind in my context.

My themes blend urban cultures, the cosmos and human anatomy, giving drama to the use of illumination and the dark and light, taking the ideals of the Classic Baroque. It is always thought that within the darkness a beam of light is much more appreciated and valued. Sometimes we need to live a small part of our lives in the darkness to give more value to the moments of pure happiness, leaving aside the vanity and celebrating life in all its stages.

Chrispapita is one of those artists that transcends passion in the work he presents. Being art oriented towards the sensitive, objects capable of revealing humanity and the feelings that inhabit us, the more the artist compromises his work with ideas and emotions that help us to see the beauty existing in life, the more we will have the chance to perceive and deal with such feelings and emotions.

“I want to find myself, find the meaning of my life, make sure of the mission that I have in this life and continue being very happy. If on the way I can leave a legacy and teach what I have learned I would surely die feeling very happy. I want to celebrate the human body without prejudice, to teach that vanity does not lead to anything good, to enjoy this only life that we have. “

Do not forget to follow and enjoy the photos of the artist on Instagram @vhmor and @chrispapita. Also leave your comments on what you found about the artist and their work.