I have been following the work of Elisa Malo for some time now and recently asked her a few questions regarding her drawing. Her figures are delightful, cute, bold, cheeky and a little disturbed (in the best possible way). Daniel Smith: How would you describe your work to someone who had not seen it before? Elisa Malo: My work is centered in the creation of characters. Characters that are double faced: can seem pretty obscure but at the same time adorable and cute. I like to work with duality and confusion. DS: What is it like to be an artist in Mexico City? How much does it influence your work? EM: Being an artist in Mexico City can be very tough sometimes as its really difficult to get work and recognition specially if you are young, but it can also be very fun and enriching (something that has taken a lot of time for me to realize) since materials are very accessible and also living here you are exposed to an explosion of bizarre, every day . DS: Can you explain your working process? EM: I have a different process for each thing I'm working on, but mostly I am an observer and start making something like an archive in my brain of stuff I like for periods, something like a moodboard, and then this archive gets full and I start shaping it into the drawings and things that come out. DS: Do you draw from life or memory or from photographs and other resources? EM: All of them! Mostly from memory and imagining stuff, sometimes I take photos as references or other images that inspire me. DS: Who is your favourite visual artist? EM: Harmony Korine DS: When did you start drawing? EM: I've been drawing forever, but more "seriously" I guess I could say that maybe in high school. DS: What influences you generally (music, books etc.)? EM: People, people I see on the street, colors and grandma outfits, crazy minds, always music. DS: What are your future plans for your art? EM: I have a very big urge to paint. DS: Do you have anything coming up that you would like to promote? EM: I want to use this space to say I'm living in NYC at the moment, and I'm looking for freelance job, suggestions accepted 😉 See more work below and go to Elisa's site www.elisabambi.com. Questions: Daniel Smith All images © Elisa Malo