Sex-charged photos that are now wearable art
Nik Santi is an artist who lives in New Mexico.
“I grew up in a really conservative Christian family and because of this, I was pretty sheltered from things that our church found transgressive – like homosexuality…” explains Nik. “I find it a little ironic that despite this upbringing, I’ve grown up to become a gay, atheist, artist that draws dicks and hairy bums as a hobby.”
“I’ve been drawing and making art for as long as I can remember. My grandmother is an artist and I spent a lot of my childhood watching her paint and sculpt. She often involved me in her process and would have me knead her clay for the storyteller dolls she made. I’ve always been really close with her and I think that art is a major part of our connection.”
“I was a very quiet and reserved kid, so I spent a lot of my time drawing and reading. My childhood sketches were mostly of dinosaurs and animals – a lot more innocent than what I work on now.”
“The story behind how I started drawing men is a bit unusual. To make a very long story short, in 2012 I had a near-death experience and I am only alive today because a friend of mine was there to save my life. I couldn’t think of a gift grand enough to thank him so instead, I drew a hairy bubble butt on the front of a card and wrote on the inside ‘thanks for saving my ass’. That hairy booty was the first of what has now become many.”
“I primarily use Instagram to find the men that I draw. “Using that platform, it’s been really easy to find muses. I’ve met some wonderful guys on there that have gone on to become the inspiration for my work. People are surprisingly very open to baring it all for a sketch.”
“I live in the middle of nowhere, so I often have to work from reference photos. It’s been really fun to work together with the guys to come up with poses for my sketches. There are also a ton of incredibly talented photographers I’ve met that are kind enough to allow me to work from their photos. I really enjoy the process of taking their images and reinterpreting them in my style.”
“Lately, I’ve been trying to work on doing more art trades with other artists where we each will work on a portrait of the other. It’s been a lot of fun to have the tables turned and get to become the art.”
“My motivation to draw men comes from a love of the male form and an appreciation of how beautiful I find body hair. Drawing has also become a major source of stress relief for me, so I’m often motivated to draw to give myself an emotional release.”
“I find the process of drawing body hair to be incredibly relaxing and being creative allows me to use another part of my brain that I don’t get to use in my day job. I’m also motivated by other artists. I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of the queer art community on Instagram – every day, I learn something new from these talented artists. Aside from a few classes I took in high school and college, I’m mostly self-taught so these other artists have become my teachers. They motivate me to try new things, take risks, and keep improving.”
Dive into the world of Nik Santi
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