What happens when you stop obsessively planning and trying to control the outcome in the studio and start letting your subconscious lead the way? In this episode of the Create! Podcast, host Ekaterina Popova chats with August Vilella, a self-taught artist whose intuitive approach has landed his work in Art Basel and major galleries across Asia and Europe.

August reveals how he abandoned sketches and rigid concepts to find a "direct language" that transcends cultural and language barriers. We explore his "happy accident" move to Japan, his upcoming 10th-anniversary chronological exhibition, and why he believes the best career investment you can make is simply showing up in person.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

The Intuitive Method: Why August starts with a completely white canvas and no prior ideas or sketches to allow the subconscious and past experiences to take a leading role.

The Self-Taught Advantage: How skipping art school allowed August to find his own unique style and "signature" before being influenced by a teacher's perspective.

Building a Career from Zero: The story of how a two-week trip for a show in 2020 turned into a five-year Japanese residency after a flight was cancelled during the pandemic.

Being Your Own "Bad Boss": The discipline required to be strict with gallery deadlines while maintaining a meditative, improvisational creative process.

The "Lottery" of Opportunities: Why traveling to openings and art fairs is essential for letting collectors and directors see your energy and story, not just the final work.

Milestone Exhibitions: A look at his massive 500-square-meter 10th-anniversary show in Shenzhen and upcoming solo exhibitions in Tokyo and Ginza.

Key Quotes:

"All my past experience have some deep impact in my painting... my subconscious mind have a very important role in the creative process." — August Vilella

"The best way to make an interesting career is to travel, to meet people, to talk with people... they not only see your work, they also see your energy." — August Vilella

Connect with the Guest:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/august_vilella_art/

Website: augustvilella.com

About the Host:

Ekaterina Popova is an artist and the founder of Create! Magazine. Explore more articles and opportunities for artists at www.createmagazine.co.