Thursday, March 29, 2018

Interview to Svetlana Zombierella Nagaeva as a musician and XXI century woman

Svetlana Zombierella Nagaeva 

When I started to imagine this interview in my head to pose some questions to my friend and Russian musician Svetlana Zombierella Nagaeva, I was a bit scared because while imagining her answers, I was thinking something like this:
"Is she actually my friend?"
"Will she kill me?"
"Who is Zombierella?"
"Must I become a zombie or a werewolf order to protect myself from her?"
But Svetlana is an awesome woman, a cool girl that loves Porto also and she is real kind to me, so she answered my questions quickly in a coffeeshop talk in the interview posted below.
I am thinking on developing some cool ideas with Svetlana with an exhibition of Zombierella as a character with help by International artists with how they "see" this woman and her character.
List of artists
Finland 
Terhi Ekebom
Argentina
Dario Mekler
Belgium
Christophe Swijsen 
Italy
Stefano Zattera
Rolando Cicatelli
Bernardino Costantino
Canada
Stan Wany 
Japan
John Kurokawa
Mexico 
Gaston Ortiz 
Poland 
Bartosz Jekiel 
Portugal
Ead Weird 
Spain
Jon Ander Azaola  
José Luis Ágreda 
Toni Benages Gallard
Ruben Pellejero
Sweden 
Lars Erik Sjunesson 
U.S.A
Bill Koeb
Jon Kutzer
Special thanks to my friend Svetlana Zombierella Nagaeva that is an amazing woman and that's a really cool musician and has an excellent character.  
 
Me and Zombierella - 01 

Me and Zombierella - 02

Me and Zombierella - 03

Me and Zombierella - 04


Me and Zombierella - 05 


Zombierella by José Luis Ágreda 

Zombierella by Rolando Cicattelli

Zombierella by Christophe Swijsen 

Zombierella - 02 by Christophe Swijsen

Zombierella - Toni Benages Gallard 

Zombierella 02 - Toni Benages Gallard 

Dario Mekler 

Interview to Svetlana Zombierella Nagaeva as a musician/artist and a 21st century woman

01. You are Zombierella and you love to be called zombie if people can not remember your name. Are you a woman that loves to be lost in your own world as a musician?

Yes, I’m living inside my own world, as any artist who’s doing music, drawing, writing, making sculptures, movies etc.( any ways of creativity).
 As ideas developpers we go down deep inside our universe, then we come back with something interesting, showing it on surface and people actually see that creature you bring them live.
 Sensitive feelings are the ones that are hidden, it is a real cool atmosphere when you share them.

02. You are a simple woman from Saint Petersburg and you use several elements in your performances that come from gothic culture such as zombies, vampires, movie acthors Vincent Price, Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney among others. What do you "see" in this genre of fictional culture as Zombierella?
Simple people don’t exist...))
As Zombierella I see all these guys as my friends...)
Everyone was born with some special features, I think I was born with some goth features.
I love horror, which is fun for me in some way.
And we didn’t spend Halloween in Russia as a kids by the way.That culture just came now here more or less.

03.  You were bassist and vocals for Russian band Messer Chups and now you have a new band with a different concept. Can you tell us a bit about it?
I’m having few projects now.
Zombierella’s ‘Tentative Reels’, where I’m doing different collaborations and experimenting with covers ( ‘Suicide Commando’- first video is on YouTube now);
another one, which is ready and coming soon, sci-fi electronic Trivia,
for sure I will release surf music too ( back to my past music career)).
But my main band now, which is new, is The Bleak Engineers
Together with Alexander Moralez ( who’s a very good electronic musician) we are doing a melancholic wave music, using live guitars, vintage drum machines and retro synthesizers.
The first release will go out in May on French label Six Tonnes De Chair.Will be collectible 7” vinyl.)Happy about)))

04.  You look a lot like American actress Bettie Page with your own style but you are a shy girl.
 How do you "see" yourself as a 21st century woman?

Who’s Betty?))
Who said I’m shy?)
First, I’m seeing myself drinking a coffee now in the morning. 
Second, I could see myself different.
Doesn’t mean go with a flow and falling into waterfalls all together (smiling), but being curious and finding interesting things for your own in 21st century, in the past and in the future.
Third thing, continuing doing music and art.
FOREVER AND EVER!
(laughing like a cartoon villain)

05. You were in Porto. What do you think of this city? Were you a bit lost in it?
Very beautiful city, very nice people.
Really like it, just good and pleasant memories about.

06. I love how you appear, your presence and atmosphere in a video named Lipstick Twang by MC
Do you still have that bracelet with symbols of simple card games?
Do you still kick cars for fun while listening to music?  
Yes, I still have it, It is my favorite bracelet.
I have bought a similar one in Porto by the way in a little rock’n’roll store close to the club, because the first one became too old.
Not kicking the cars anymore, just listening to music now.
07. I know that you love Twin Peaks by American director David Lynch (you even made a parody of it in a video with you on it). How can you describe Twin Peaks Tv Series and the universe in it created by Lynch
I have explained the process a little bit in my first answer.
David Lynch is a very generous and genius artist/director, because he’s sharing his deep universe with us, but he is also very professional, because he knows how to do that, knows the way and it’s a massive world influence among artists.
Also would like to add, it’s a team work, take as an example Angelo Badalamenti soundtrack in his movies, would it work without them???
Good team helps to have a successful result.

08. You are a cool girl. Can you tell us a bit of your origins in Russia and Saint Petersburg?
As everywhere you can see beautiful/cultural/smart things and something that is opposite.
But it’s my native country and a part of me.
St.Petersburg is very beautiful!Welcome!

09. Imagine that you are lost somewhere. 
Would you prefer being a zombie or a vampire? 
(I ask you this because people eat a lot of trash :) and I dont want to be someone's breakfast :))

I would probably prefer having a map inside my phone.I’m a modern creature...

10. In this new project with your new band, are you a different Svetlana Zombierella Nagaeva or are you simply in another kind of mood as a woman?      
As I told someone, I am always myself.
Yes, it’s a different kind of music, but it’s also dark influenced and it inspires me.
Question, quiz: Do you become another person if you usually prefer oatmeal for breakfast, but then you skip it for fruits?
Probably that’s another shade of your personality.

11. Do you eat popcorn while gazing at stars in this universe? 
What do you as Zombierella think about this blue planet where we live in?


The only Popcorn I like, it’s the song that I have created.)
Universe is powerful, looking at the stars makes you forget everything at least for a second...

12. Do you prefer to walk in nature during the day or by night? 

Love nature and walking any time except at night. I’m afraid of dark lightning but I have a good imagination...
All the best zombie wishes!
Stay creepy, my friends!
Ciao.
Zombierella

Many thanks to all international artists that support some of my ideas since I have started working with a paper woman that was Valentina by Italian maestro Guido Crepax in exhibitions all over the world and a book collection based on this italian artist works published by Fantagraphics with help by his family, the publishing company owner Gary Groth and his team as consultant editor in it and also a limited booklet dedicated to Crepax main character Valentina with help by more than hundred artists from several countries also all over the world (that can be read in previous posts in this same blogue) and now I am working with a flesh and bone 21st woman like Zombierella is.
 Special thanks to my friend Svetlana Zombierella Nagaeva that is an amazing woman and a really cool musician and an excellent character.

Friday, March 16, 2018

Third Crepax Tribute limited booklets with help by international artists and new upcoming projects

Lost in the most beautiful city in the world?


I never know who I am or what I do in my professional life.
My friend and magnificient Finnish artist Terhi Ekebom gave me an advice to create an heteronyme while writing narratives, so my name is Mauno and I am a fisherman somewhere in Europe navigating seas in a small boat, living in a tiny house without internet with the company of some kitties, listening to wolves outside it.
 Perhaps I am not a fisherman and I am a guy named Manuel that was born in Porto, but Terhi knows life better than me because she is one of the best artists that I know of, a brave and lovely woman and I trust her and love her as the magnificent human being that she is.

My youngest niece Leticia in leisure time


I never know what I can write in narratives since they all are synched in my brain, heart and soul, so sometimes I ask to my youngest niece Letícia for advices on how to write narratives and she tells me that they are easy to write and I trust a lot in her, when she is in my company,  she picks up my cellphone and starts sending pictures of her to all my contacts and I truly believe that she knows how to communicate as a child to everybody because she cant conceive in her mind what is the worth of social networks and neither do I.
 I clearly know that I love people and international  artists in my heart and soul and I am not interested in having tons of "likes" at social networks because it is easy to press a button in a cellphone or a PC, but it isn't easy trying to reach to people s minds, memories, heart or soul.    


With one of my little cousins playing hide and seek 
Writing and organizing ideas in my mind, heart or soul sometimes is a bit crazy, since I lose myself a lot in the company of my nieces or cousins while playing with them in my leisure time.



A professional card with design by Argentine Artist MR Ed, a pen, a pencil and number 7 

Trying to figure out what a professional card is as consultant editor of Fantagraphics books publishing company based in Seattle - U.S.A is tricky since I clearly know the work that I have done with this company and the one that I am doing with the people there (mainly its owner Gary Groth) , be it Crepax book collection, Alberto Breccia book collection (that will be a reality in some months). I don't know or care about foreign lousy book collections whose rights were sold to other publishers all over the world since I am not a part of this busyness that clearly bores me a bit and that deals with numbers. Part of my job is to give advices to Fantagraphics or other publishers to publish excellent book editions of some artists that I love in order to be able to see them in book stands all over the world, clearly knowing my position at this publishing company and that I am not  Fantagraphics exclusive because I work for other publishers also.    

Monologue with a statue   

Everybody that communicates with me, be it online or personally knows that they aren't communicating with a statue and I also communicate with them in this exact same way, but I love to communicate with trees, birds, cats and even statues when I am alone.  

Lost in a labyrinth 


Several times, it seems that I am in a maze, be it at my professional or personal life and I continue to live it and forgetting about this sort of maze in my head, so I wander several streets in Europe knowing that a simple maze can be an easy way for people to enjoy themselves, because life is a maze and always will be.
       

My youngest niece Leticia and myself drawn and printed in paper by Japanese Artist John Kurokawa

International artists such as John Kurokawa that is Japanese know the bound that I have with my nieces so he created an artwork based on my youngest niece Letícia in my company. 



A vampire drawn printed in paper by Japanese Artist John Kurokawa

A ghost drawn printed in paper by Japanese Artist John Kurokawa

I also know that I am a simple vampire or a ghost who writes some narratives, curate exhibitions all over the world with help by international artists in this blogue/concept, that I try to share with international artists and I think that John Kurokawa and all artists that I work with know about this.   

Pic samples of movies that I love randomly organized in a coffeeshop table 
such as 2046 by Chinese director Wong Kar WaiTrust by American director Hal HartleyMirror by Russian director Andrei TarkovskyVertical Ray of The Sun by Vietnamese director Tran Ahn Hung8 and a half by Italian director Federico Fellini and sample artworks by Finnish artist Terhi Ekebom and Spanish artist Eduardo Alvarado Sánchez-Cortés
      
Pic samples of movies that I love organized in a blank page such as 2046 by Chinese director Wong Kar Wai, Trust by American director Hal Hartley, Mirror by Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky, Vertical Ray of The Sun by Vietnamese director Tran Ahn Hung, 8 and a half by Italian director Federico Fellini and sample artworks by Finnish artist Terhi Ekebom and Spanish artist Eduardo Alvarado Sánchez-Cortés


I love movies, TV series, books, music, artworks and soccer and I try to get inspired in these interests of mine while organizing things in my head.
 2046 is a movie that tell us about a writer that believes in love and a number of a room.
 Trust is a movie that tell us about what is trust in a relationship with love and life.
 Mirror is a movie that tell us about where our memories stand.
 Vertical Ray of The Sun is a movie that tell us about a family concept.
 8 and an half is a fictional film based on life, its memories and in what we can achieve with them.
 I have tried to gather all these movies in my heart and soul (randomly or organized) to try to figure out how I am going to turn several projects that I have in mind into reality, be them book anthologies, shows, personal books, all this with help by international artists. 
 I love brave and lovely women and Spanish artist Eduardo Alvarado Sanchez Cortez knows how to draw them, so I have asked him to print some women that he drew.
 Terhi Ekebom knows that I love her work, so I have thought that a fascinating isolated house that she created as an artwork would be perfect for this narrative.   
  

With third Crepax tribute limited booklets organized by myself and published by Fantagraphicsa framed artwork based on myself and a kitty that I used to have drawn by Spanish artist Jon Ander Azaola and another framed artwork with a sketch study of Valentina by Spanish artist Santiago Sequeiros 


Crepax limited booklet cover organized by myself with help by international artists and published by Fantagraphics


Published tributes to Valentina by Argentine artist Patricia Breccia and American artist Bill Koeb  


Published tributes to Valentina by American artist David Lasky and Japanese artist John Kurokawa


Published tributes to Valentina by American artist Brian Biggs and Italian artist Caterina Crepax


Published tributes to Valentina by American artist Olivia de Berardinis and Brazilian artist Rodrigo Rosa


Published tributes to Valentina by Spanish artists Pedro Espinosa and José Luis Ágreda 


Published tributes to Valentina by American artist Jeffrey Alan Love and Spanish artist Fidel Martinez Nadal


Published bios of the artists in this third Crepax limited booklet  


Published tribute to Valentina by American artist Sam Henderson

Being myself involved with more than 150 international artists (whose artworks I love) knowing that I must somehow publish their artworks makes my head spin several times per day, because it isn't easy trying to organize all the works that some of the best international artists sent me for several personal projects that I have or had in my mind.
 Tributes to valentina by Italian maestro Guido Crepax is one of them that I will continue developing in my mind and it is a project that I am proud of since it basically deals with a confused man as Crepax (that was a genius) putting his personal life in paper while talking to a fictional character that he created in his mind and gave it a life of its own by drawing her in an unique way.   

Trying to organize all my work in my mind


Below I will post a music video named "Analyze"by British musician Thom Yorke and its lyrics that tells a bit of my state of spirit right now. 




      



A self-fulfilling prophecy of endless possibility
You're born and raised across the street
In algebra, in algebra
The fences that you cannot climb
The sentences that do not rhyme
In all that you can ever change
The one you're looking for
It gets you down
It gets you down
There's no spark
No light in the dark
It gets you down
It gets you down
You travel far
What have you found
That there's no time
There's no time
To analyze
To think things through
To make sense
Like cows in the city
They never looked so pretty
Bad power cuts and blackouts
Sleeping like babies
It gets you down
It gets you down
You're just playing a part
You're just playing a part
You're playing a part
Playing a part
That there's no time
There's no time
To analyze
Analyze
Analyze

Special thanks to all international artists that also are awesome human beings, my family and to common people with awesome souls that help me every single day while I am developing new ideas for my job.
Manuel Espirito Santo 

Friday, March 9, 2018

A lost narrative within my heart and soul - drawings based on myself by international artists


Several times I try to lead some chaos into order in this thing that we call life.
 I never know where I am or will be or what I will write in a professional or personal way.
 I only know that I am a simple guy that was born in Porto, that loves to comunicate with artists from all over the world to try to gather their awesome artworks into some place while trying to provide them samples of other artists artworks in this world with a bit of feeling or in a emotional way.
 I know that sometimes, I am into deep waters while communicating with international artists and also living my own professional or personal life.
 I clearly remember curating a multimedia show based on an identity game with a sort of narrative (that can be read or watched in previous posts at this same blogue) with help and artworks by some of the best international artists that I know while personalizing t-shirts or mugs (always with their permission) and that did or are doing artworks based on my physical appearance which leads me to believe that I am not a ghost and maybe I am some character in a huge theater play in this life that we all live in without a script, actors or actresses.
 Being a writer or an artist is being a creator of fictional worlds based in reality within human minds, so sometimes this makes me wonder a question as simple as this one:
- Are we real vampires or some other kind of nightly creature that try to provide light, joy, fun while being a sort of mirror of what a word named "society" is?    
 I have met several human beings physically in my life from this blue planet where we all live and I am sure that I will continue to meet them in this exact same way.
 Gathering and organizing artworks based on myself by some of the best international artists that I know of is real tricky, because I am a worldwide exhibitions curator, being also a consultant editor for the publishing American book company Fantagraphics that gives American publisher Gary Groth ideas for book collections or even how the book market is nowadays (If I was working for Marvel or DC instead, perhaps I could create and write about some fictional characters and turn them into a TV series, like they are doing right now and I am sure that I could be real rich, but I always prefered people besides money.)
 Like I always said since I started working with Fantagraphics, I clearly know who I am:
 - A simple guy that was born in Porto that loves his nieces and nephews.
 - A simple guy that loves women, soccer, books, music and TV series.
 - A simple guy that believes in his own ideals no matter who I comunicate with (be it Gary Groth or a simple artist) and I try to make things happen in a static world that is this one that people (myself included) live in life or social networks.
 This is what I will always be in them or personally:
 - Direct and frontal.
 - Emotional and clearly knowing the tricks that people use in this life to hide or profit with something. 
 - I think that I am not a naive kind of guy concerning busyness and I know that we all have a mouth to feed and that we all as living beings will end in the same hole after living the lifetime that was given to us by nature.
       


Me and my youngest niece and artist Leticia inside a bus

Drawing based on myself by my youngest niece Leticia

Of course that exist people that know a bit more of who I am right now, being my youngest niece Leticia an example of my existence and that also made a drawing based on myself as can be seen above and that I love a lot. 


Holding 1984 book by George Orwell

I know that I will always love books that have changed mankind like "1984" by George Orwell.   



Handwritten question in Portuguese  

Handwritten Sentences in English

Handwritten sentence in German 

I know that I will always try to develop new ideas in this world that we live in with all my strength and with my ideals of how I "see" life.
Below are some amazing artworks by some of the best international artists that I know of, being them organized by countries and that have sent me some artworks based on my physical appearance and how they were "seeing" me while drawing a bit of who I am either on a piece of paper or on a PC in some sort of identity exhibition that helped me understand a bit more about who I am, always was and always will be.   

Argentina 

Drawing based on myself by Argentine artist MR ED 

Personalized t-shirt with a drawing based on myself by Argentine artist MR ED

Drawing based on myself by Argentine artist Fernando Sawa

Drawing based on myself by Argentine artist Teke Teke

Drawing based on myself by Argentine artist Martin Arrizabalaga

Drawing based on myself by Argentine artist Carlos Dearmas

Drawing based on myself by Argentine artist Pablo Burman


Drawing based on myself by Argentine artist Roda Rodrigo - 01 


Drawing based on myself by Argentine artist Roda Rodrigo - 02 
Drawing based on myself by Argentine artist German Genga

Drawing based on myself by Argentine artist Mukor Bazan 

Austria

Drawing based on myself by Austrian artist Nicolas Mahler

Belgium

Drawing based on myself by Belgium artist Dominique Goblet

Drawing based on myself by Belgium artist Christophe Swijsen

Brazil

Drawing based on myself by Brazilian artist Eder

Drawing based on myself by Brazilian artist Douglas P Lobo

Croatia

Drawing based on myself by Croatian artist Danijel Zezelj



Denmark

Drawing based on myself by Danish artist Henrik Kim Rehr


France

Drawing based on myself by French artist Isabel Pessoa

Finland 

Drawing based on myself by Finnish artist Terhi Ekebom

Italy

Drawing based on myself by Italian artist Stefano Zattera

Drawing based on myself by Italian artist Rolando Cicatelli

Mexico

Drawing based on myself by IMexican artist Gaston Ortiz


Poland 


Drawing based on myself by Polish artist Bartosz Jekiel

Drawing based on myself by Polish artist Magdalena Minko








Drawing based on myself by Polish artist Nikodem Cabala - 01

Drawing based on myself by Polish artist Nikodem Cabala - 02

Drawing based on myself by Polish artist Nikodem Cabala - 03

Portugal

Drawing based on myself  and my nieces by Portuguese artist Ana Biscaia

Drawing based on myself and a cat by Portuguese artist Paulo Pinto


Drawing based on myself by Portuguese artist Joao Sequeira
Serbia

Drawing based on myself by Serbian artist Danilo Milosev

Spain 


Drawing based on myself and my kitty by Spanish artist Jon Ander Azaola

Drawing based on myself and soccer coach Mourinho by Spanish artist Eduardo Alvarado Sanchez 



Drawing based on myself by Spanish artist Joaquin Aldeguer


Sketch based on myself by Spanish artist Daniel Esteve



Drawing based on myself by Spanish artist Daniel Esteve


Drawing based on myself by Spanish artist Pedro Rodriguez




Drawing based on myself by Spanish artist Toni Benages Gallard




Drawing based on myself by Spanish artists Ruben Pellejero and Jose Luis Agreda


Drawing based on myself by Spanish artist Pedro Espinosa


Drawing based on myself by Spanish artist Jose Luis Agreda

Sweden

Drawing based on myself by Swedish artist Nicolas Krizan



Drawing based on myself by Swedish artist Knut Larsson



 U.S.A

Drawing based on myself by American artist Bill Koeb


I know that I have tried to give some sort of movement with excellent static artworks with help of more than 150 international artists in coffeeshops or in the streets of the city where I was born with my body, mind, heart and soul and also in other countries also with my mind, heart and soul.


 Identity exhibition - End of Narrative 

Poster for an identity exhibition with design by Spanish artist Daniel Esteve - 01
  

Poster for an identity exhibition with design by Spanish artist Daniel Esteve - 02

Random picture of an identity exhibition curated by myself

 Identity exhibition

Poster for an identity exhibition with design by Argentine artist MR Ed

Printed artworks with artworks by international artists in key places in Porto's city


01



02




03



Life is beautiful



Special thanks to all international artists and special people in my life that believe in some of my ideas and try to help me putting them into a pratical way in this blue planet that we all live in.
 Manuel Espirito Santo