NEWS
Welcome to the World of Toto Lara
CLOUDKILL-PICSVIDZ:
Two months ago, we spent a great time in Norway, attending the 2016 edition of the Beyond the Gates Festival in the beautiful city of Bergen. There, we learned more about the artistic work of Toto Lara, a Chilean artist renowned for his dark art and the beauty between the real and the unreal. Below, we share with you an interesting conversation with him where he further enriched our understanding of his art.
Patricia
Toto, how do you manage to participate in important metal music festivals and exhibit your art there?
Toto –
My journey in the metal scene began with my first exhibition in 2011 at the Unholy Bar in Oslo. From there, we started taking my work to other key venues in the scene, such as Rock In, a place that is fundamental to my career.
Erman Atabay gave me the opportunity to collaborate with him 15 years ago, and I’m proud to be the official artist of Rock In, a platform that has allowed my work to be known and recognized by people from all over the world. At the same time, my work has become established on the most important platforms in the genre.
I especially want to highlight my presence at the Inferno Festival, where I had the honor of performing alongside prominent artists from the dark scene, sharing creative visions.In recent years I’ve had the opportunity to participate in the Tons of Rock Festival and, consecutively, in Beyond The Gates.
Patricia
Toto, many people know you for your paintings, but there’s so much more you offer: a clothing line with your own brand, you work with tattoo art, comics, illustrations, and various visual projects. How do you manage to do all of this?
Toto
The most important thing is vision. I’ve never stayed in my comfort zone of brushes and canvas; I always like to go further to understand how art becomes an aesthetic whole that encompasses clothing, music, gastronomy, or skin, building a concept of identity.
It’s important to understand the entire journey of the work, from the sketch to its development and the final product. All of this expansion happened driven by friends who asked me to put their designs on skin or people who wanted to see my art on clothing. That’s how Toto evolved and became a comprehensive concept.
Of course, this isn’t achieved alone. For me, it’s important to have a trustworthy team, from the people I collaborate with on the design and the people who inspire me, to the models. Throughout this entire process, I am deeply grateful to Asya, Mathias, Pranita, and Alexa, who have been an essential part of bringing this project to life these past two years.
Patricia
We know you also have album cover art design projects for bands. You worked and are currently working on the second album design for the Norwegian black metal band Zustand Null.
Toto
The work with Zustand Null stems from a very solid collaboration; I was in charge of the cover art for their first album. This new project is a continuation of that partnership and is the cover for their second album. It’s still in development, so I can’t reveal much about it, but what I can say is that we’re going to delve deeper into a visual concept that maintains a line faithful to the dark and visceral aesthetic we defined in the first cover.
Patricia
Toto, this is perhaps a question you get asked a lot… you’re an architect by profession, but how do you transition from your career to the world of art? Do you plan to return to architecture at some point?
Toto
I don’t see it as a premeditated transition. Art has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up surrounded by pencils and brushes, with the freedom to explore my imagination. I’ve always been drawn to the unusual, the dark, the strange, and I felt very comfortable with that.
Architecture gave me the fundamental structure.
Art is the only medium where I can create something completely pure, authentic, and transcendent. Architecture is governed by logic and function; in my work, I construct irrational and imaginary spaces.
After a 10-year hiatus, I’m open to resuming architectural projects. Not within the traditional structure of an office or the corporate routine.
For now, my interest is focused on projects with different meanings. From designing houses for friends to projecting my own life plan: building an art residency. I envision a space designed with workshops and work areas to support emerging artists.
Patricia
Toto, you’re definitely a box of surprises… we want to know about your collaboration with Warner Bros. Studios for the Supergirl movie.
Toto
More than a traditional collaboration, it was a special invitation from Warner Bros. Norway for the film’s release in the country. I was selected along with 13 other artists to develop our own interpretation of the character using our visual language.
This project represented a key milestone in my career, connecting my work with a global film platform. For this piece, I worked directly with my muse and model, Prana Salo, which allowed me to bridge the gap between reality and fantasy. Having someone in front of me who was experiencing the same conflicts as the character gave the painting a profound and human dimension.
It allowed me to explore this duality in a creative process where the struggles of the real world intertwine with fiction.
Patricia
We know you participated with your art in a tribute to Gustav Vigeland, creator of the imposing sculptures we see today in Vigeland Park.
Toto
From my first visit to Norway, I was struck by Vigeland Park. I was completely captivated by its atmosphere in shades of gray and its high technical quality. It’s not your typical European park; it has a very particular somber feel, but it’s also populated by fantastical beings, a fusion of human and reptilian forms. For this tribute, I created four paintings inspired by his legacy. It was a tremendous honor when, as part of the artist’s Jubilee, my work based on Sinnataggen was chosen and featured in a press article for the way I managed to interpret and capture the essence of Vigeland’s work through my own visual language.
Patricia
Last words, Toto, for those who want to follow the path of Art.
Toto
My message to all of them is to firmly believe in what they are doing and never lose the space for reflection, self-evaluation, and continuous improvement.
Art isn’t about competing with other creators; it’s a daily discipline where the only real competition is with oneself.
https://www.instagram.com/totolara?igsi=ZHFiNWx6bmpxeGtx
CLOUDKILL-PICSVIDZ:
We received excellent news from Athens – Greece.
Rotting Christ received their well-deserved recognition for their 35 Years of Artistic Life, as well as our congratulations for the 30th Anniversary of the album Thy Mighty Contract.
We want to say .. thank you so much Mr. Sakis Tolis and Themis Tolis for all these years of tireless work, sacrifices, perseverance and love for us Fans around the globe.
Sakis Tolis showing our recognitions to him and the band like musician , Composer and More.
Cloudkill PicsVidz feels very honored to be able to send this token of love, respect, and gratitude on the name of the Rotting Christ Fan’s throughout South America, and all the Fan’s around the world. Thank you Sakis and Themis Tolis all the success.
Rotting Christ is one of the most important bands within the black metal genre with a widespread recognition around the globe. They are from Greece and currently going through a very special time of their carrier as a band.
On 2023 the band announced being accomplishing 35 years of artistic life and also celebrating the 30th anniversary of one their most important releases, the album Thy Mighty Contract.
The album Thy Mighty Contract was released on 1993 and is consider by many as a master piece showing the musical essence of the band.
Their original music and vocals- market the difference during the 90s.
Celebrating the 30th anniversary of this iconic album they will give us an special set with tracks from the Thy Mighty Contract during each of their show programmed for 2024.
Rotting Christ will start their tour in Mexico and South America during the month of february and then will continue playing in several festivals around the globe.
Rotting Christ was formed by the brothers Sakis and Themis Tolis .
The band’s name was consider by some controversial but the was not an impediment to go on .
They had to go through a rough but with perseverance and passion they were able to harvest their current success.
Cloudkill PiscVidz would like to join this important celebration .
We consider that every one of Rotting christ members deserve our recognition for their perseverance during all these years of their artistic life.
SAKIS TOLIS
THEMIS TOLIS
ROTTING CHRIST MUSICIAN
KOSTAS FOUKARAKIS
