Please tell us a little bit about yourself...
Hello, I’m Diego Fernández.
I’m a Colombian multi-disciplinary artist based in London.
I work within film, illustration, performance, tattooing, painting & music. I’ve been making art for pretty much my entire life and have been living off making films since my late teens.
What made you choose this career?
I guess it was purely accidental. I fell in love with painting from a very early age, when I hit puberty I started sneaking films that I wasn’t supposed to see and by the time I was around 17 I was obsessed with making them. I always felt that an artist should be able to take on any medium; techniques are tools that you can use to express whatever you need to. I chose to study film because it is an industrial discipline and you need a great deal of time, money, people, etc to get things done. I also loathed the idea of somebody else teaching me how to paint or draw.
Did you go through formal education?
I went to film school in Argentina. I studied to be a director, director of photography & editor. I focused on getting enough knowledge and experience doing every single aspect of filmmaking. I worked in the sound dept, art dept, I did hair and makeup, studied acting, vfx, gfx, you name it. After that I worked in film in South America for a couple of years and later moved to Barcelona to do a Masters in directing fiction.
Did this have a positive or negative impact on your chosen career?
I would say with hindsight my BA was an incredibly amazing experience even though it didn’t feel like that at the time.
My masters degree was an absolute waste of time & money. I wouldn’t mind if ESCAC Barcelona goes up in flames :)
Who inspires you?
Anyone that is unapologetically themselves will have a huge impact on me. There are of course talented artists, writers, directors, actors, musicians etc. that I love and their work has influenced me in endless ways… but at the end of the day, anyone who chooses to be themselves over whatever societal norms or what is “expected of them” is the reason why I wake up in the morning :)
What’s the scariest thing about your job and how have you overcome it?
As a freelance artist, the scariest thing is running out of money with no jobs in sight for a while.
You overcome it by rolling up your sleeves and hustling. Being grateful to those who’ll support you along the way helps massively.
The great thing about making art is that you can do so even when you have no tools, no money, no food… it’s just you, yourself and your weird little artist brain.
What do you want to change about your industry?
I’d focus on getting rid of nepotism & pushing for fair pay for everybody.
The film & art worlds are run by the worst kind of people; vicious bloodsucking, moneysucking people. Everyone that's not "at the top" is exploited & made to feel useless.
The salary imbalance between men & women is ridiculous, the salary imbalance between white people and everybody else is disgusting.
In these industries your talent is useless if you do not “know” the right person... F* THAT.
What advice would you give someone who is starting out in your field?
Focus on the stuff that makes you feel something, make things for you, find allies and support all your friends that are in it with you.
Don’t get into it if you’re expecting to be rich or famous.
But I guess, the most important advice I can give you is the same advice my grandpa gave me when I was 16 and found myself having trouble with an employer: Don’t ever let anyone fuck with your time or your money. You can always find a way to get your money back somewhere else, but your time…. that’s gone for good.
Also, please be kind.
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