Nuno Roque

“Pop is about speaking everybody's language. The imagery and iconography we instantly recognize. When you can rely on things that the public already knows, you're dealing with Pop.”

“All my images are self-portraits, even when I'm not in them.”

“I can certainly identify with The Villain. A Villain is someone who has a past, who is strongly opinionated, fearless, doesn't get intimated by anything, and went beyond suffering. It's an empowerment figure.”

“I have a transgressive spirit, and Pop is transgression's best friend.”

“When I was young and I was forced to watch Disney films, I would fast forward the good guys, wasn't interested in princes and princesses, only by the villains.”

“Sometimes people are shocked by what I do, but I'm not trying to be liked, I speak my mind and I don't care what people think. I truly do not compromise on who I am.”

“France, stop throwing awards at me! I have so many already, give them to people who need them.”

“I love the idea of reincarnation, so just in case it doesn't exist, I decided to be different people in the same lifetime.”

“Nothing I do is natural, realistic, organic or accidental. I'm never spontaneous, I'm completely premeditated.”

“Fascinated by the great symbols of the collective history, I use them as an alphabet to communicate.”

“I spent most of my life trying to specialize myself. I went to theater school, film school, music school, mime school ... Finally, I was able to gather enough knowledge to build the confidence to create my own work, that goes utterly against the sense of specialization.”

“Sometimes people can be negative, especially about my confidence. I trust myself, I refuse to obey, and I noticed there is a need to punish me for it. But haters are important because they show you you're doing something right. I'm scared of unanimity, artists who everybody likes. When you speak your mind and you're loud, you will attract negativity. But I have thick skin, I think the fact that I was severely bullied in my childhood helped me build strength and believe in my artistic vision. I deal with rejection very well. I have a lifelong vision and an unbreakable spirit.”

“I have a tendency to break rules and shake things up. I would say that with me people never know what is real and what is fiction. And I like that because reality is relative.”

“For me, every week is a fashion week.”

“The greatest thing about our times is that you don't need permission to express yourself the way you wish. Sometimes people tell themselves they can't do it, because they're missing this or that, but historically, specialization is a recent convention. Most of us are born natural polymaths.”

“I might act like a rhinoceros, but I'm a unicorn.”

“My childhood was a drag show!”

“I love to laugh. Specially at myself. Sometimes I spend hours doing it.”

“I'm a Baroque person. More than Baroque, I'm a Rococo person. I don't draw straight lines.”

“I think we live in a time where artists are very tidy and afraid of what others might think. They hesitate in expressing their views and opinions. So being original is rare. For me, it's about living the life you create for yourself, to create your kingdom. I think we should work on being our unique selves and becoming our greatest versions. I like to remind people to take the power to live their life the way they wish.”