He is very young, Asturian and lives between Paris and Barcelona. He has directed music videos for Guitarricadelafuente, Gabriela Richardson, Sen Senra and Jedet. His creations are full of color, tradition and a special taste for fashion. When he was very young he posed for Palomo Spain, and spent three years working at Jacquemus.
Boris Bidjan Saberi.
But it wasnt what you wanted to do.
My name is Pedro Artola. I am 26 years old. Iam from Asturias, although I currently live between Barcelona and Paris. For the moment I'm a director, mainly of music videos and fashion. I hope to keep growing professionally!
How did you achieve this?
I often wonder about that myself. Actually, it was something quite gradual and natural. Within what I have allowed myself, I have let myself go along all these years. It was always clear to me, from a very early age, that I wanted to work in something that I was passionate about and that I didn't feel like work. And I have succeeded. I think this is what I am most proud of to date.
Do you do what you do by chance?
Most of my fondest memories are associated with art, but I never thought I could make a living from art. That's what they told me. I come from Oviedo, a very small city, and I studied in a very Catholic school, where they teach you to be a doctor, lawyer or engineer.
How did you achieve this?
A Bachelor's degree in Commerce and Marketing, which allowed me to move to Paris and changed my life. I started working at Jacquemus, where I spent three years in the sales and marketing department. I even did logistics...
But it wasn't what you wanted to do...
I was still quite out of context and lost in the working world, but this experience helped me to reconcile with myself, to feel proud of my roots and to inspire and find myself. I will always be grateful for this gift. Furthermore, I began to open myself to a new world, to artists and friends who inspired me and who still inspire me today. And I thought: why can't I live like that? Little by little, I started to play with what I had: an old camera from my father, and my iPhone. I edited at night and in my free time. I uploaded everything to my Instagram profile. As an anecdote: with every photo I uploaded, I lost more followers. But I didn't care.
And then?
One day, Álvaro (Guitarricadelafuente) wrote me to make a videoclip, something I had never done before but had always dreamed of. I didn't hesitate for a second. And, everything started that day!
Sandals & flip flops?
I have always been inspired by music, sounds, melodies of songs. I do the treatments by focusing and letting myself be carried away by all the above. I get a lot of inspiration from day to day, I have an iPhone full of notes. I write down absolutely everything: ideas that occur to me while I sleep, in the shower, things that happen to me, that I hear about. And, above all, thoughts that give me anxiety and fear.
Video has become a form of expression. I'm very ingrained in the archaic masculinity I grew up with. I suffer a lot because of it, and creativity helps me express myself. I am inspired by love and fear. Love, a little more.
But it wasnt what you wanted to do?
Let yourself go within your possibilities and your context. Do not force anything. Everything comes if it has to come. Be patient. It doesn't matter if you have more or less studies. If it has to be, it will be. Your opportunity will come. You must not lose hope or patience. And we must always try to be grateful and work hard. Be our own best friend. Not to compare ourselves, because we each have our own journey, which is just as beautiful as we idealize the others'. I speak for myself, too.
Interview by Folch Studio
Photos by Pedro Artola
