Colossal Beauty - The Art of Eduardo Burger

Eduardo Burger is a creative living in San Paulo in Brazil who draws larger than life men. Burger’s men have large muscles, bellies and drawn with head’s that are diminutive in size in comparison to their colossal bodies.

With their bold skin colours and posed against block colour, abstract or hazy backgrounds, these characters exist in an imagined world, they are playful sexy creations that are drawn as if they were a love letter to the mountainous and the hirsute of the male form.

“I move in various styles, but always use the male body as a form of expression.

I like to play with the erotic, the weight of the body and its proportions.”

An interesting aspect that is noticeable in all of these works, is how the men are drawn without any eyes. They are sometimes drawn squinting but mostly they are simply not featured, these characters therefore never offer a window to their personality. They are instead stoic and like illustrative sculptures or statues that typify a 'beary' beauty that exists in the male form.

interview.

Tell me a little bit about yourself and where you come from?

My name is Eduardo Burger, I'm 34 years old, I was born in a city in the interior of Brazil. I currently live in Sao Paulo.

I am a designer and illustrator, I work with audio-visual productions for film and television.

I have worked with fashion, brands, packaging, furniture and other things.

Why do you make art?

It was in art that I found a way to express myself, identify myself and also observe the other.

In addition I can go further as a person, because all this transforms me and touches

Tell me about the men you draw?

I like to portray male beauty, through big men, out of real proportions.

Making a parallel between the gross and the beautiful, and showing strength as an identity.

I think that in this way many gay men, who consider themselves marginalized because they are outside the standards of beauty imposed by society, can feel represented outside social stigmas.

What’s led you to make art or be creative?

My paternal grandfather was a painter, it was a great inspiration, so since I was a kid I liked to draw and create things. It was natural and stimulated by my family.

My creation process is varied, but I always start with a research that guides me to think of shapes, colors and textures.

Music is always a partner in this process as well.

I believe the excitement generated by this whole mix of references is what helps me create.

I worked with cinema for 10 years. Also, I like animations (I love gifs), I like writing scripts and poems.

I've played bass and played theater for a few years.

My life has always been about art and culture

You have some fun animated gifs on your blog, with your experience in cinema, would you ever consider a bigger animated project?

I make animated gif work because it's faster and easier to understand. I love movies, and I like to think of moving scenes, but I don't know if I would make an animated movie. It involves much more technique and time. Alone it would be unfeasible for me.

How has your art changed over time?

I believe all my personal experiences have contributed to my growth as an artist and as a person.

At first I felt strange and was ashamed to want to portray the male body, but when I met other artists who also worked with the same theme, I felt comfortable and confident.

This confidence allowed me to create and evolve my trait and my arts.

Did you train to be an artist or are you self-taught?

I was always self-taught.

Since early I always read a lot and I'm very curious.

I like to learn about everything.

This allowed me to know many things that contribute to my work.

I've been working with design for almost 20 years, I didn't graduate, everything I know I learned on my own. And that didn't stop me from working in big offices, doing exhibitions outside among other things.

I believe that when you love what you do, no one holds you back.

Over the years I have participated in some group exhibitions here in Brazil and abroad as well.

I have publications in books, magazines and other media. I have produced a regular magazine called Woof.

Where does your inspiration come from?

For me everything is inspiration. I believe the more I see, hear or read things, the more baggage I acquire this instructs me to create new things.

The new always stimulates - always creating and feeding on new things.

Growing up as a person and as an artist. The rest comes along with it.

The most interesting part about creating art is when someone tells me they got excited about my work.

What artists do you admire?

I have a big list, but I will choose two names.

Tom of Finland and Gengoroh Tagame

For me the work of both brings a perfection in the physical traits of the masculinity - in the representation of the body and their artwork show the concept of what is masculine with mastery.

How much of ‘you’ is in your art?

I can safely say 'a lot'. Literally, my own body is the great basis for my work. It serves as inspiration and also a reference

In how I make the work? It's my way of seeing the world, of thinking and even of being.

What I love most is simply just being creative. The thought, the freedom.

Where can we find your work, can people buy it?

Yes, I sell it. I have some sales channels on the internet, but I'm starting to think of another way to market.

I want to create a different experience for engaging with the artwork.

And finally for us art geeks... What do you use to create your work?

I use Ipad pro with Procreate for sketches and coloring. Then I take to Imac where I have a Wacom Intuos to finish in Photoshop

Visit Eduardo Burger on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and you can buy his work from Society6