OFM Art: DYSTRA Embraces Gender Fluidity, Ambiguity, Rebelliousness, and Freedom

DYSTRA was manifested in a dream with the intention to create genderfluid magic. Julius Garrido, the Filipino digital collage artist, caught up with OFM to discuss his art, endeavors as DYSTRA, nonbinary idenitity, and what inspires their artistic visions. (While Garrido uses he/him pronouns, DYSTRA uses they/them.)

What inspired you to start creating digital collages?

Back when I was living in Singapore, I came across this exhibit of Baroque-era paintings from Liechtenstein. The name of the exhibit is Princely Treasures from the House of Liechtenstein. One of the works that intrigued me a lot was this painting by this 16th century Italian artist named Giuseppe Arcimboldo. It was this portrait of a person. It was painted in a collage-like manner; you can see a face, but each element of the face was composed of different animals, including an elephant and a deer. I thought it was brilliant, and it has inspired me to make art of my own. 

The problem is, I’m not good at drawing or painting, but I think I’m good at Photoshop. I started collecting graphic resources, and I went to this Japanese bookstore in Singapore called Kinokuniya. I came across this book of graphic resources of Victorian-era engravings, and it was a book specifically for graphic artists that they can use for whatever; the licensing is all free commercially. So, I started to play around with these collages around 2013. And then I ended up creating my first series of digital collages called Beautiful Nightmares. In 2014, I showcased them in an art market in Singapore called The Substation Gallery. All my artwork sold out, and that was my first art market art exhibit experience showcasing my work.

How did you come up with your artist name?

The name DYSTRA, it just manifested in a dream. I just grabbed it and had this identity, DYSTRA, and I can’t explain it, but I was neither a he nor she. When I woke up, I remember feeling really good, empowered, and just connected to my creative side. So I thought, “This is a powerful name,” and it connected with me, so I use it.

Why did you choose to present DYSTRA as a nonbinary artist?

Outside of DYSTRA, I identify a cis male. I chose to present DYSTRA as nonbinary because it feels more true to myself to represent a range rather than stick to masculine and feminine expressions as an artist. So when I create, I always straddle the broad spectrum, tapping into masculine and feminine energies and a whole lot of it.

Artistically, how does it feel to change things up from photography?

Digital collage and photography are two separate disciplines that involve different tools and processes. It doesn’t necessarily mean changing from one thing to another. I try to keep my photography separated from my digital art as much as possible, since they are two products created by two different individuals.

Who or what would you say your main influences are?

I grew up as a closeted, Catholic, gay boy in the Philippines. I watched a lot of Japanese anime in the 90s. I also played a lot of video games that were very Western and high fantasy. That played a great role in forming my aesthetic choices. I also easily get inspired by the works of other artists. There are two artists that I really admire: Àsìkò, who’s a London-based, Nigerian photographer and artist; the other one is Aya Kato, a Japanese artist. They are two individual artists whom I really regard highly. And I want to mention Benjamin Clementine and Laura Mvula’s music; they really get me into a good mental place to do creative work.

Why do you think it’s important to showcase gender fluidity in your art?

Embracing gender fluidity means to embrace ambiguity, rebelliousness, and freedom. Those are the concepts that run parallel to my work. And I like being ambiguous and not having to provide any answers to my art as well as questions to my gender. It’s irrelevant to my art. So to me, being visibly nonbinary, it’s important to acknowledge that my gender expression matters, and it deserves respect.

Tell us a little more about your collage art.

I started doing digital collage because it is the medium that I am most comfortable with. I am not comfortable with my freehand drawing skills, and I do not have the patience to do a long process like painting. Digital collage is perfect for me because I like working in intense sprints. My process starts with gathering all the elements with no end goal in sight. The uncertainty is both challenging and exciting. I piece all the elements together, some of which I produced and some I didn’t. Some elements are from my photography, and some I take from the commercial, free-license, graphic resources. There’s a lot of trials involved. Using digital versus analog collages has more room to experiment, express my intention, and this allows me to create faster. The work then unravels itself until I feel it’s finished.

What kind of future goals or accomplishments do you have in mind for DYSTRA?

Creating digital collage isn’t an end in itself, but I would love to do more ambitious, larger scale projects in the future that go beyond, and to build images. My immediate goal is to get an art agent interested to represent me and work on projects.

Anything else you would like to add?

You can find me on Instagram at @dystra.art. Give me a follow, and embrace the ambiguity.