MOLIZANE: Yeah, I'm Pedro. Pedro Molizane. It's actually an Italian name, but I'm from Sao Paulo, Brazil, and I'm currently 22 but I'll be 23 in like a month and a half, I think. And, yeah, sorry, I forgot the less. Oh, you're Oh, yeah, it's P, W D, R O, P, W, D, dot, r o. It's actually just my name with a typo. Alright?
BUHRMAN: So the first question I'm going to ask is, how do you define your creative identity? And what early influences shape the way you think about your work today?
MOLIZANE: Um, my creative identity is sort of mainly artistic and focused on illustration. I do a lot of design work, kind of a bit of everything, I think. And I have a lot of influences from cinema mainly, and old cartoons, artists from I don't know, like David Lynch, for example. The surrealist kind of feeling I tend to bring to my illustrations, design work and everything else. Apart from my commercial work, which is mainly not that intuitive, the creative process is completely different from my personal work and works that I have more creative control. But that's mostly it. I think the airbrush scene is usually where I'm always looking into, especially cover art from, from the 80s, the 90s. I really love the airbrush style from Japanese artists. I can name a few, but it will be too many names. And I think it's not that important, but it's, it's mainly that, I think, and trying to blend design with illustration, I think it's mainly the most important thing for me right now.
BUHRMAN: Yeah, I saw that you follow Ryota Daimon.
MOLIZANE: Yea, yea. I think I've, I've messaged him a few times, texted him because he followed back. I think when I started following him, he followed back. I knew him from his work for I think Future, he did a Future tee and I fell in love with his work as his style is kind of similar. I think the only difference is he's way better at physical airbrushing than me. I'm more of a digital guy.
BUHRMAN: Do you ever do physical airbrush?
MOLIZANE: Yeah, I've done it a few times. But just to get that, that grittiness,the texture that digital work doesn't, really can't, can't achieve most of the time. But like black and white work, I think when I brush black and in white paper and just scan it and invert it and everything else, I think it kind of works really well in some projects, in some cases.
BUHRMAN: All right, so, when did you first realize creativity could be a practice and not just a talent?
MOLIZANE: Um, I think it all came together. Like naturally. I think I work a lot with intuition first and then kind of structure that along the way during the process. So I think with years of work, I think it all came together smoothly, I think, and I'm always searching for, for different, different sources of inspiration. I think movies are mainly the only thing that I don't detach myself from, especially on days where I'm not really that inspired. I tend to watch at least one movie a week, like minimum, just to, like, from different nationalities as well, because I think that brings sort of different perspectives as well and different worlds. But, yeah, I think that's, that's mostly it.
BUHRMAN: I'm guessing you speak Portuguese. Do you speak other languages?
MOLIZANE: Yeah, I know English, like a little bit. I can communicate with others a little bit, but it's not my main language. So, so, yeah, I'm also, I'm also a text guy. I don't usually like to talk that much, so I’m a bit rusty. That's what I mean.
BUHRMAN: What parts of your background still quietly shape your work today?
MOLIZANE: I think when I was young, like my early days as a kid, growing up, my dad used to, my dad passed away, like last year, so I think mentioning him is really important, because he used to airbrush all his life and he used to airbrush cars. And I don't know the name exactly like the work, the work name, but he used to airbrush cars, helmets for like, almost, I think it was his full time job, like, mainly, for most of his life. So I think that really influenced me in sort of an unintentional way, I think, and I started drawing because of him too. So I think that really, that was the main, the main thing from my background, my early, like, art always used to be a thing because of him and my family. So, like, not, not in a conventional way, because, like, you don't usually get inspiration from like, I don't know painters or someone painting oils or anything. But it was more, more from that, from my father, then, um, then, like, European art, or like these kinds of inspirations.
BUHRMAN: So your dad was a creative. Do you have anyone else in your family that is also?
MOLIZANE: I have my mind, my auntie, but I think my dad was the only one that was really active in it, and he used to work with it, and, like, made a living out of it. And I think being a creative wasn't really the main thing for him, but it was kind of a thing that he always relied on during his life. So I think, yeah, only my dad.
BUHRMAN: I think it's nice to have someone from your family to also be creative. I'm, like, the only creative in my family, so it was hard for my dad to accept that I want to pursue art.
MOLIZANE: Yeah, I started doing full time art a few years ago, and it was kind of weird, because my dad didn't really care about it, like in a way that he would be concerned or anything, but my mom was kind of, kind of on the edge of really accepting the fact that someone would make money out of me.
BUHRMAN: Yeah, that was my dad, for sure. So is there another profession you wanted to pursue or were interested in?
MOLIZANE: I really like architecture and cinema, but I know like a droplet of knowledge from architecture and cinema. So I'm really more of an arts guy, truly.
BUHRMAN: Who are your biggest inspirations and why?
MOLIZANE: Um, damn, I think mainly right now, David Lynch is cool like to get like the vibe and and all the surrealist feelings that I tend to bring to most of my work. But I really, I could, I could mention a few friends that I'm very inspired by @aleqth on Instagram. He's kind of a crazy guy that I don't know how to describe him, like his art style. He kind of like plays around in every style he can, illustration, photo, photo manipulation and everything in this kind of circle. He tries to, like, make systems of, like websites that you can play around, build your own, your own artwork in a system that he created. Or, you know, I can't really describe what he does. You kind of have to see, to look at his work yourself, but he inspires me in a way that his work is really intuitive, and he creates what he likes mainly, and that's really what I'm mostly interested on right now, because commercial work and commissions and everything else can really get in the way and block that, that love that you get from creating your own thing, you know.
BUHRMAN: Yeah, I think I asked this question kind of already, but what is something outside of your field that strongly influences you, like the way you think or the way you create art?
MOLIZANE: I think going out and traveling to different places is something that has been a really good thing, especially to get the vibe. And that really shaped how I create. Also, because I tend to stay in my house and work non stop for like, weeks, months even. And I think that didn't really help my sanity at all. But when I started going out, traveling to different places, Brazil is a huge country, so you can kind of see a bit of everything in here, so it really helped create in a smoother way. I hope that makes sense.
BUHRMAN: How does a project start for you, like an idea or feeling, or do you just start drawing?
MOLIZANE: I usually have an idea from, like, literally anything. I think, usually images I search for references that I make, like, huge mood boards with. If I don't know, like, 100 photos just for like and this, I don't know if this is really what the question is asking, but my mood boards are like different sections for typography, colors, composition, feeling, or, I don't know, elements, anything like it is really just hundreds of images separated by sections for things that could be potentially in the artwork. So that really helps create, like, not a narrative, but first, firstly, a a feeling or like a world for me to build and structure that usually i i don't really bring narrative or any definitive meaning to it to my work, but it can come like naturally and something That is is in the new work. Actually, I know if that makes sense.
BUHRMAN: That makes sense, kind of building off on that. What is like a day like, let's say you're working on a project. What does the day look like for you?
MOLIZANE: I really differ from my commission work and my personal work a lot. My commission work usually is like days or weeks of time, but my personal work can take like months or even a year to really reach its final form. And so I think my commission work is really that, what I just said, that creating a mood board, reaching for references and following directions. It's mainly the thing that I don't like to follow directions, to be honest, because I think that breaks the creative process a little bit. But like working together with, like recently, I worked with @paristexas, the duo, and it was a very close back and forth with them, Louis and Felix. We teamed up to build their merch for Camp Flog Gnaw, the Tyler, The Creator Festival, and we really developed together what they wanted, and that the world that they built for their EPs, that later became an album. And it was a very close creative process, and I think that really helped this joy of making something that you really are proud of. Yeah, that was a cool project, and it was kind of like that. It started as a mood board and a back and forth with other creative minds and reached its final form.
BUHRMAN: What part of the process do you find the most frustrating or rewarding?
MOLIZANE: I think frustrating is for commissions, something that doesn't really click with the client. I think that's like kind of obvious, but frustrating is not. I don't really find the process really frustrating. I think. I don't know. I'm not sure what, what could be frustrating, but rewarding is seeing the idea come to life, I think, from idea to execution especially, and trying to bring different aspects of every area that you're searching inspiration from and seeing that come together is unique in its own essence and form. I think that is something that is really rewarding and connecting with other minds, creative minds too, like the Paris Texas project that I mentioned. It wasn't that close of a connection with Paris Texas, for example, but it was really insane in the same kind of situation. I think it was really rewarding to see this, this back and forth, and seeing it all come together from different different ideas and execution.
BUHRMAN: How do you know when a piece is truly finished? Or do you ever really know, for example, like there's always more to do you know, especially for, drawing or graphic design,
MOLIZANE: I think when it's saying something. I think it's when it's finished. For me, I don't know if that makes sense, but you could draw a line and it would, it would say something, but when it's saying something for me, I think it is when it's finished. And that is something that could be a frustrating thing, I think. But I think when it's not, not really ever finished for me, I think you can always overlay things on top of the other and it would always be a final product. But that's also why my personal work usually takes way longer than any commission or anything. But I think um, when it's saying something to me and when, when the feeling is there, I think is when it's finished.
BUHRMAN: Have you ever had a project fail or not turn out how you want it?
MOLIZANE: Yeah, many. Um, actually, way more than I have on my page, especially commissions for like, the big labels for like, UMG, Sony, Warner, yeah, mainly those. But most of these projects don't see the light of day. They could potentially see the light of day in another, like occasion or something. I've seen some cases happen recently, actually, with my work that was from two years ago, and the client decided to use it anyway. So I think there's a lot of unreleased material that has the potential to see the light of day, but just not right now. I think.
BUHRMAN: What would you say was the breakthrough point in your career?
MOLIZANE: I started making cover art for my friends that made beats and stuff online, and I used to make them for free. So I think when I started charging people for like, $10, $20 for my work, I think it was like the breakthrough point when I started valuing and adding my own price to things. When I started actually switching from like, $10 pieces, $20 pieces, to bigger projects that needed more love, more time, then I started charging more based off of that, I think. I started with graphic design, and today I do illustration, graphic design, like I did music videos last year, like, I think five or six music videos, it was with graphic design, obviously, but, I helped them shape their visual imagery and worked together with the director. And that is something that I never thought I would do when I was making these cover arts, or like these artworks for fun. I think that the moment that I started shifting from these different areas, was when I think it was a breakthrough point for me.
BUHRMAN: What's your favorite piece that you've done?
MOLIZANE: I don't really have a favorite piece, but there's one that is recent that is a kid with jewelry in his mouth, like he's like kind of vomiting jewelry, or something that started as kind of an emotional piece, like a grief kind of thing, trying to embody that feeling of when you're young and everything you see is like materialistic and luxury and everything else in that kind of circle. And I think that, not only because it's personal, but I really like how it came out. I think that could be my favorite right now. But I have many, especially client work. I have a few that are special to me.
BUHRMAN: Do you consider your work to be beautiful, and what does beauty mean to you?
MOLIZANE: To me, beauty is not really a universal thing. I think it’s something personal that can be different for everyone. In art and anything creative, something can be beautiful, but that’s not really the main point for me. I might be totally wrong, but sometimes the fact that something isn’t traditionally beautiful is what makes it interesting. The beauty of it isn’t the most important thing. What I enjoy is the process of making it and the joy that comes from creating without worrying about whether it will be beautiful or not. During the process, I often arrive at a certain style, but the fact that it isn’t necessarily beautiful is what makes it compelling to me. It can feel similar to everyday or mundane things, but at the same time it’s a little strange and somewhat surreal. I think that’s what makes it cool and interesting to me. I’m not sure if that makes complete sense, but that’s how I see it.
BUHRMAN: So do you think about time when you, when you make art like the past, the present or the future?
MOLIZANE: Yeah, I think mainly the past. The past is what I think about the most, because I feel like we’re in a kind of nostalgia era worldwide. It seems like a lot of people are relying on that right now. I’m not an expert in psychology or cultural studies or anything like that, but it feels like nostalgia is influencing a lot of things at the moment. For me, it’s a big source of inspiration. I like taking things that already existed and shaping them into something new or renewed. The future comes into it in an indirect way, but the past is really what I think about the most.
BUHRMAN: What do you think your work says about the time we’re living in right now? Have you created any recent work that tries to reflect or communicate something about the moment we’re in?
MOLIZANE: Yeah, the one I mentioned earlier is probably my favorite piece right now. It’s the most recent personal artwork I made, and it was meant to send a message. The piece is Untitled now, but it originally had a title: “A Round of Applause to Everyone Around the World.” That was actually the first time I started with a title before the visual itself. The title came first, and then the image developed from that idea. The phrase was meant to be a bit ironic. It was my way of commenting on how people today rely more and more on things that don’t really feel human. The idea was about being born into this world surrounded by luxury and material things that are everywhere you look. It almost feels like it’s constantly around you, shaping the way you live and think, and in a way it can feel like it’s choking you from the inside out. So the piece really started as a message through that title, and then the visual work followed from it.
BUHRMAN: What is something you're still trying to understand or explore through your work?
MOLIZANE: I’m really trying to explore other fields, especially physical airbrushing. It can be really overwhelming to learn a different medium, especially when you’re used to making things digitally. Working with a physical airbrush is completely different, and it forces you to think and create in another way while you’re working. I actually started experimenting with it last year, and honestly it was frustrating almost all the time. Even now, I still feel frustrated when I’m using a physical airbrush. But it was something I felt I needed to experience because, like I said, I had gotten very comfortable just sitting at my desk and spending weeks on commission work. I was mostly just working, watching movies, and repeating that routine. Learning airbrushing helped me imagine a different process and a different way of working.
BUHRMAN: And where do you see yourself in five years?
MOLIZANE: I see myself moving toward a more open creative process. I’m not sure if that’s the right way to phrase it, but I have a strong passion for directing projects and helping shape visual ideas with other people. I’m really interested in creating work where more than just one or two people can collaborate and bring something to life together—something bigger than working on my own. I want to move beyond only doing individual work or projects with a record label where I don’t always have full creative freedom. My main goal for the next one, two, or five years is to stay creatively open and connected with others, working in a more collaborative way.
BUHRMAN: How do you want to be remembered?
MOLIZANE: Actually, I don’t even really want to be remembered as a person. I’d rather have my work be remembered instead. That’s the main thing for me. I don’t even show my face on social media or anywhere else, because I feel like sometimes an artist’s lifestyle can start to overshadow or influence how people see the work itself. I don’t want people to remember me as an individual. I want the work to stand on its own—to be remembered for its own language and its own meaning.
BUHRMAN: What is one piece of advice you want to give to young artists and designers today?
MOLIZANE: I think the main advice I would give is something I repeat to myself every day: don’t just stay in the routine of doing the same thing over and over. Try to explore other fields and experiment with things outside of what you’re used to. I think it’s really important to try to connect ideas or mediums that don’t normally exist together, or that you wouldn’t expect to coexist, and challenge yourself to build something from that. The goal is to create something that becomes its own thing—something that comes from combining elements you might not initially think belong together.