Mayor Interview

At the junction of letters and characters, Mayor seems to resolve the surrealist conflict taking place between images and words, this group of poets at the base wondering what words or images were born first in the brain. Even if the neurosciences have since answered this question that it is the images, Mayor offers a pacifist compromise to this ancient conflict.

Hi, Yiors aka Mayor, you from La Coruña in Spain, you have 31 years and you paint since 2003, your name comes from your surname, did you drawing before?
Yes, I began to paint when I was in Chile. The drawing was always a part of my life.

Did you study art in school?
No.

What are you looking for when you create letters? 
It depends on the moment, recently I try to find the simplicity and the best contrast.

Your letters are very singular, what is your inspiration, idea for making that? 
I’m an open-minded person, I’m in a continuously searching for new ideas, the inspiration even comes from washing dishes or go for a walk… I’m searching to add a touch of humor usually including characters with simple, clean, and contrast styles.

How was this style?
I try to find the perfect balance between the graffiti and the illustration with my touch of humor and my thoughts and all of this creates my style.

Do you travel to paint?
Yes, whenever I can.

Did you live with your art?
It is difficult, there are good times and bad times but that is the objective.

Do you think the letters have specificities in your city and country or everything has been diluted in a great international style?
Some time ago, each city had her own style, a marked style but nowadays social networks and the new forms of communication had done that everything is diluted.

If the artwork creates a world and life imitates art more than art imitates life, what kind of world you want your painting impulse?
Colorful and funny world fueled by constancy, love, and sacrifice.

Do you think it is like one chromotherapy for the city where the dominant is monochrome light?
Yes, a grey city is like a lifeless city. Streets need colors, I’m glad to be a part of that culture.

Do you think that writing only modifies the space or the mentality of people, and how does it modify it?
In my opinion, I think that is something which helps in the visual appearance from the neighborhood, from the streets and it can give life to the city but not all the people think the same… It’s something that during the years It has come to be accepted.

Do you have some anecdotes?
A lot of them! The last was some months ago. I was in Porto, I was waiting for a man to get out yo the place that I want to paint and when I thought the man was gone, suddenly he starts painting the spot that I wanted.
I have crazy stories, once  The GNR (Portuguese police) pointed a gun at us after a police raid. Another day I was offered 50 € to paint a  shop window because the owner was in debt! Also, another day when I escaped from the police I broke my hand… There are a lot of anecdotes.

Do you have a word for the end?
Thanks a lot and don’t stop the party!

Follow him on his Instagram: Mayor