10 Questions with Juan José Barrios Quiñonez

Juan is a 16-year-old figure from northern Bogotá. Being born in the late 2000s, Juan grew up with the internet as a fairly accessible tool, a tool that he used daily in order to strengthen his relationship with the English language. With the help of his family and some friends, he got the chance to prove himself and his creativity in different spaces like school events, family reunions, and other gatherings that might not be as big as museums but served as the first steps towards a more unapologetically creative life.

By the time he turned 11, his older brother and inspiration had died while sleeping, and since then, that incident has changed Juan’s perspective on life. A few months after the funeral, lockdown started. Juan enjoyed things like not having to go to school or getting to play all day, but as he grew up more and more, he realized that time was flying by, and he was just stuck between the same four walls. Years passed by, and the internet became his only escape from reality, so they started to use it as a way to express his ideas and dreams, like creating imaginary TV shows and developing them on a laptop or creating accounts in which he would post his visual ideas. And through this passion for creating, he learned things like writing screenplays and editing photos.

More recently, Juan has been trying to balance his school life with his real passion while also trying to archive self- acknowledgment, which is something that he has struggled with for years of his life, but now he has found a way to heal and grow from his scars, and that is through art.

@jbqvisual

ARTIST STATEMENT

Juan’s work explores his relationship with his own identity and experiences and how to grow from them.

Their main goal is to connect with people through the delicate and fundamentally important medium of visual languages, such as shorts, photoshoots, etc. With his biggest inspiration being surrealism, Juan is aiming to create visually intriguing pieces that can spark conversations about themes and topics that trouble the hearts of many. His fascination with human experiences and feelings is what drives him to tell stories and showcase personal subjects through his work. With support from other people in his life, he’s able to work on pieces that take time to curate and develop. Being able to show people his work to inspire others is what inspires him to break boundaries in his lifestyle and become a better version of himself without hiding his true identity, which is something he has struggled with since he has a memory.

He thinks that art can be anything: a memory, a piece of jewelry, or even a thread of hair. As long as it creates a feeling in people’s hearts, it can be classified as art in his eyes. So that’s why he is open to the idea of anyone being able to connect with art and create a personal meaning for it. As he continues to evolve as a person and as an artist, his goals remain the same: to open windows in people’s minds.

INTERVIEW

You are very young but already seem very determined to pursue a career in art. What inspired you to follow this path?

Since I was born, I've been surrounded by all types of art. From films to paintings, having such creative mediums around me since such an early age inspired me to pursue my creative dreams to an extent that wouldn't have been possible without them. That and support from my loved ones are the main things that made me choose art as the path that I'd like to drive my life on. Role models have also been very important in my creative birth, from loved ones to just artists I like. Inspiration is the reason my latest projects look the way they do, but I'm always trying to innovate and not to repeatmyself that much when stepping into a new project.

Can you tell us about your early life in northern Bogotá and how your upbringing influenced your artistic journey?

Living in a city like Bogotá can give you different experiences based on which part of the city you're from, and by living in a closed neighborhood, I've always been curious as to how other people might experience the same city. I wouldconsider that city "the city of opportunities and disappointments." As a child, I thought that Bogotá was the best place on earth, but as I grew up, I realized that the city has lots of faults, but that's part of its charm. Because of its kind of neutral culture, the city has a lot of different sub-cultures that are fascinating to get into, especially for people like me who are interested in exploring different cultures. So if I had to describe the effects that living there had in my life in one word, that word would be 'liberation', not only because of the things that I already lived while being there but also because of all the plans I have for my future there.

How did growing up with the internet as an accessible tool shape your relationship with art? Do you think this hasa lasting impact on your practice?

Online experiences have been essential to making me who I am today, not only because it opened a window in my mind, so a lot of creative inspiration can enter through there, but also because it has given me the opportunity to learn things that I never would've learned to the level I do now if it wasn't for the opportunity to access (age-appropriate) content, like the English language! But learning aside, the internet is a scary place once you stop putting restrictions on it; thankfully, my parents have always been aware of that, so everything I could access back then was things that were always appropriate for me (although I would be lying if I denied that I did use to like a few things that were not really made for me at that moment). At the end of the day, I feel like the impact that online content has had on me from a very young age has been mixed; part of my experience was exceptional, and most of the things I watched back then have indeed shaped the way I do and share my projects. But on the other hand, I used to have a dependence on online content for a while, and even though I overcame that, I still think it changed the way I interact with certain topics.

How did participating in school events, family reunions, and other gatherings contribute to your development as an artist?

Being able to share my creative outputs in different situations and environments has taught me a few things about how to approach criticism and praise. My relationship with criticism has always been a good one. However, I do have limits to what I take as criticism and what I take as hate when it comes to receiving opinions from different people. That discernment has allowed me to continue pursuing my passion without feeling frustrated about what others might or might not say, which is ironic because I've always lived with social anxiety. Being able to create has always felt like a blessing to me because it's one of the ways in which I can fully express myself without dying of shyness and having the opportunity to showcase my commitment and creativity, even if it's just in front of the family or some friends, has helped me combat any type of anxiety that I normally would have if I didn't take those opportunities. Of course, there's always room for improvement in those sorts of things. Of course, I've also had wasted opportunities that I didn't take because of pure shyness/anxiety. Still, life is such a big process that I don't really punish myself for those sorts of things that often, not only because I've been advised not to but also because I really think that I can turn my frustrations into something that can ultimately help me. So if I had to give advice to anyone who has doubts about showcasing their work, I'd tell them to just do it, even if with just two people, because the experience of being able to express your true self to people through your most personal work is the best thing one could go through as an artist as long as you know how to establish limits and accept advice.

Can you describe your creative process? How do you approach creating a new piece, from idea to execution?

I feel like creating any project has three main stages of development: wanting it, suffering it, and finishing it. The first stage is normally where most ideas die because that's the moment you first think of something and decide if you want to continue with it at the moment or not. I normally would consider this as the "prettiest" stage. Not only because it's the one in which your creativity is flowing through your mind like water on a river, but also because it is (at least for me) the only two seconds in the process of starting a project that feels like everything's going according to plan. Now, to create is to suffer, so when it comes time to actually start making that project come to fruition, that's where the fears and creative blocks start. I also like to write screenplays because I feel like they are another form of art, but putting words into paper might be way too difficult when too much (or too little) is going on in your life. So the whole idea of this stage is to let yourself suffer the process as much as you need to because nothing in this life is easy; sometimes, even starting the project itself might be the biggest mountain to climb, so it's important to have a space in which you can be real with yourself and find solutions to that suffering. This is also the longest stage, but it also might be, ironically, the most productive and happiest if you really play your cards right. And that's because suffering for your project shows that you're determined to make lemonade out of any lemons that are given to you during that stage. Then finally comes the last stage, finishing it. This stage, in particular, might be the most bittersweet one of the bunch; it may be because of how everything's soon going to end or because you might not be convinced about the potential of the work that you just suffered for, but nine times out of ten, this stage starts with mixed feelings, feelings that eventually evolve into the most satisfaction you've ever experienced in your life of a shocking disappointment. It's always important to keep in mind that things like suffering for your art or having mixed feelings about it are not bad as long as you know how to control it. But I do think that there's not a single project in the history of humanity that hasn't run into problems. So, the most significant thing to have through all of this is perseverance. Even when you feel like the whole project is on fire, in the end, you'll always have the opportunity to start over in case it doesn't come out as expected.

You work with various visual languages, such as shorts and photoshoots, as you mention in your statement. Do you have a preferred medium, and what draws you to it?

I don't really have a preferred medium, but I would like to dive deeper into the art of filmmaking. Ever since I watched my first movie on IMAX as a little kid, cinematography has been one of my most significant interests. As of late, I haven't really experimented a lot with it apart from writing some screenplays for short films, but one of my main goals is to eventually get to direct my own feature film, which is something that I'm willing to work my ass off for. But just like with anything else in life, there are steps to it, and I think that starting with photoshoots and just overall photography is a greatfirst step towards that goal. And who knows, maybe in the future, I might be doing another interview, but this time for a film instead of a photoshoot!

Your work explores identity and personal experiences. What specific themes do you find yourself revisiting, and why are they important to you?

The whole concept of identity has always been strangely interesting to me. The idea of being something specific forever (and getting to choose what it is) is something that I sometimes have conflict with. I understand that we can be whoever we want to be, but if anything's possible, then how can I pick what to be? That's the question that I normally center my pieces around, and that same question was what has determined my relationship with my own identity for a long, long time. Sometimes, we can decide what we get to be, but sometimes, we're just chained to what we are, so having this dilemma at the back of my head anytime I do anything like dressing, taking pictures of myself, or even meeting people has made me realize a lot of things about myself that I wouldn't have been able to if that question didn't bother me to begin with. Identity is normally something that's not only dictated by you but also by your environment, but what happens when you and your environment are opposites? Then what is your place in the world? I feel like even though one should go on a self-discovery trip, identity shouldn't be that relevant in today's world. In a perfect world, no one should care about who I am, and I shouldn't care about who others are, but at the same time, I feel like just ignoring identities is also ignoring the problem with them. Instead of not caring, we should appreciate others' identities, too, but sometimes that's too much to ask for in some environments. Most people are subjected to being what others expect them to be, or rather, what they want to be, and that by itself causes a lot of mental issues that then cause even more difficulties that result in other people getting affected by it, too. The whole point of this first publicly released photoshoot was to illustrate my ownjourney to self-acceptance and coming to terms with my identity, but the last photograph, 'PURE OR TRUE', showcases that even if you go through that whole journey to come into terms with yourself, being able to be who you are freely is still not guaranteed. And sadly, a lot of people have had to learn that the hard way. The saddest part of it all is that one would think that by now, our society would be past that, but that's not the case. Every day, more and more people turn their eyes blind to situations like this, and that only ends up impacting even more the people who have struggles with their identity. So, with that last installment of the photoshoot, with the soul going back to black and white just like at the beginning of the story, I'm trying to illustrate what I think is the infinite cycle of suffering that people with identity issues have to go through daily. Would you rather be considered pure within your environment, or would you rather be true to yourself but get crushed by your environment during the process?

Surrealism is a significant inspiration for you. How do surrealist elements manifest in your work, and what attracts you to this movement?

I've always considered the use of surrealism as a very powerful way to tell stories between your works. Because of the creative freedom it offers, surrealism is what I personally believe to be the best way of portraying your soul. Every time I start a new project, released or unreleased, I try to make sure that every part of it feels unapologetically me and one of the ways I can achieve that is by exploring different techniques, mediums, etc. So, even though my latest work has been inspired by surrealist media, who knows if my next project will end up being the complete opposite? I think that everyartist from any medium should try doing surrealist work at least once in their lifetime, but at the same time, I don't want to be encapsulated into just that style. If I have learned one thing from my idols like Beyoncé, it is that repeating yourself is worse than trying new things and failing. 

How do you use your art to explore and communicate human experiences and emotions?

I feel like every piece of art is inherently a human experience, so every time I make something, I try to make sure that it has a purpose. Art without any message is like flying an airplane with no wings; it's either impossible or too bad. The whole idea of art (at least in my opinion) is to express yourself, so when the art stops being about that, how long does it take for it to just become a parody of itself? Not every piece of art has to be the deepest, saddest, and most tragic thing ever. As long as you pour your heart into it, it can be considered art, so even things like club music can be art because it is usually a testament to liberation. So, at the end of the day, you don't need to have the most deep and depressing project for it to successfully explore human emotions. Now, the thing with "soulless art" is a bit different, and that's because there are two types of soulless art, and that is the one that only centers on profit and the AI "art" (if you can even call it that). The art made solely for profit and not to actually convey anything that the author might be feeling is against the concept of art itself, in my opinion, and that is because art has never been about numbers or charts but about us as people. And when it comes to AI "art,"  it's pretty obvious why it doesn't work, and that's because it is a mockery of the concept of art itself. So, personally, I think that part of what makes art beautiful is how it can move the world with its message, but sometimes it's also good to just have it move your own world, but as long as you're feeling something, that's art.

Lastly, what are your future aspirations as an artist? Are there any upcoming projects or new mediums you are excited to explore?

When it comes to new mediums, I'm always open to experimenting with them, even if, at the moment, I'm not planning to do so. But when it comes to new projects, things get a little bit more complicated. And that's because I'm right in the middle of deciding if to follow through with an idea I started working on a few months ago or if I should scrap everything and start again from the ground up. However, as I said before, I'm always willing to experiment with new mediums and topics. Plus, opportunities like this really boost my morale, so who knows, that project might be finished sooner rather than later! 

Artist’s Talk

Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.