Duration: Two years in 3-D illustration. Twelve years in graphic design. 

Location: Vitoria-Gasteiz and Bilbao, Basque Country. 

Education: Self-educated. All of this started when my brother installed CorelDRAW on my computer. Immediately, I was hooked. 

Approach: Using tools from the last generation of 3-D software, I create an absurd world, frequently with a funny tone. My current go-to programs are Cinema4D, Octane Render, ZBrush and Photoshop. I’d like to see the engineers’ faces when they find out they created all this software just so I can make my weird creations. 

Artistic influences: I’m inspired by classic artists, like Picasso and Dali, and by the world of video games and cartoons, both classic and modern. Those that have most influenced me defined my childhood; I was a huge fan of the original Nintendo Entertainment System video games Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda and Donkey Kong, and the cartoon Dragon Ball. In school, the other kids and I would have a blast imagining what it would be like to be the Dragon Ball character Goku. Nowadays, I enjoy Adventure Time, Rick and Morty, and a lot of indie video games like Super Meat Boy and Broforce. I spend hours upon hours playing new games. Right now I’m working on besting Tom Clancy’s The Division. 

Favorite project: I’m most proud of my work for American Express: It was my first job for a big client, and I was very pleased that the ad agency Ogilvy & Mather New York chose me. It was a great experience, because Ogilvy & Mather New York produces high quality work and it is very clear about what it wants. The only drawback was the short period of time I had until project delivery—I only had five days to complete the illustrations. I only slept four hours a day—a rough week.

Work environment: My working table is a big disaster full of toys and artifacts of all kinds. Chaos makes me more creative, and I don’t have any intention to change that. Vitoria-Gasteiz is a small town with scarce cultural activities, so every Thursday, a group of artists and I—we call ourselves the Santxez Crew, pronounced like Sanchez—print our work on large paper to stick on walls around town. Last year, we were invited to Malmö, Sweden, to participate in the Malmö Fotobiennal 2015.

Aspirations: I like it when clients recognize me and commission work because of my style. I don’t want to grow as an enterprise. I’m not interested in hiring employees or dealing with stress. I hate the bureaucracy involved in big projects, with its short deadlines and fast deliveries. I only want to to continue with my ideas in peaceful studios, working on things I like for twelve hours a day. Also, I drink one liter of coffee per day. I believe this will make me immortal.