Titi Freak (1974)
Hamilton Yokota (better known as Titi Freak) was born in 1974. A São Paulo native of Japanese descent, he skillfully blends the spontaneous spirit of Brazilians with the disciplined aesthetics of the Japanese. Self-taught, he worked at the Mauricio de Sousa studio from the age of 13 to 20. Specialties: painting, drawing, installation and urban art. References: yo-yos, manga, anime, illustration, fashion, Japanese pop culture, tattooing, urban culture, graffiti and neighborhood bars.
He drew a lot from an early age; his mother, noticing her son's talent, sent him to an important commercial comics studio, 'Mauricio de Sousa', the Brazilian producer of countless bestsellers in the genre. Since then, the sense of style, illustration skills and professionalism he acquired have kept him constantly working as a graphic designer and illustrator. He has collaborated extensively with several advertising agencies and many brands such as Adidas, Ecko and Nike.
Titi Freak discovered graffiti in 1995 and realized that the city was the ideal setting to break free of the constraints and habits that years of briefs had imposed on his work. On the streets of São Paulo, Titi Freak was able to combine the technical excellence of his drawing with the spirit of improvisation the city demands. It was a fair exchange: Titi loosened his line while São Paulo graffiti became more sophisticated. Titi Freak is an artist who lets himself be influenced by the imagery of fashion, comics and manga, lowbrow art and Japanese culture in general, but he also looks closely at Matisse, Picasso and Portinari, some of his idols in painting.
This very contemporary, pop mix of references gives his work great charisma and appeal to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. The skill with which the artist explores supports as disparate as giant public murals and tiny miniature drawings is impressive. In fact, the artist makes excellent use of the differences in language, scale and treatment he gives his works, aiming to engage the audience and stir strong emotions.
Text: Rick Kubota
