Q & A with Julio Labra, AAC class of 2009
Julio Labra, born in Idaho Falls, Idaho in 1989, is an artist working in Asia. He is a painter whose works are representational of his nomadic life. Having never lived in one place for more than a year, Julio’s work depicts the journey and search for his identity.
He received his MFA in painting from Laguna College of Art and Design in 2014, and his BFA in illustration from Art Academy of Cincinnati in 2012.
Julio currently lives in Tokyo, Japan with his wife. Julio has been discovering what his studio practice looks like amidst the pandemic while traveling throughout Japan. His series “Drifting Studio”, “Drifting Studio 2” explores where he has lived while in Japan and what his studio spaces look like, how he creates, and how he adapts.
Q: Julio, tell us about your artwork and what you have been working on!
I generally work in series and the two series that I’m currently focusing my attention on are my Wonderland Series and Eto Series. Both share themes of fantasy and playfulness as well as focus on color and paint application.
Wonderland consists of images honoring the relationship I have with my wife. During 2020 we were pulled apart because of the pandemic and the international lockdowns, causing us to abandon our previous lifestyles. Wonderland is an attempt at lifting our spirits during our time apart, and the artwork creates a space where I can reflect on the past 2 years.
I’ve always been fascinated with tales of mythology especially stories of mythic creatures, and the Eto series is heavily inspired by the Japanese and Chinese Zodiac. For me, it’s invaluable to find parallels and intersections between different cultures, and I try to infuse aspects of the cultures I’ve been a part of into my work. Taking elements from Mexican Alibrije art, I push the color of the larger-than-life animals to add to the whimsical nature they already possess. My goal with this series is to synthesize my experience as a person of color living in China; providing a place for more than two worlds to harmonize despite their differences.
Q: What is your relationship with color? I notice your works are very vibrant and radiate intense colors!
I’m absolutely in love with color and have only recently given myself permission to experiment with it in my work. I have pushed against the muted tones that I was using in my twenties to create work that is more vibrant and energetic. Placing colors beside each other in a style similar to collage I’m able to see the effects of each color against the next. I want each plane of color to pop and have it’s own identity within the context of the painting so it can be viewed from afar as a singular entity and appreciated for its fragmented detail up-close.
