Photography allows you to create images of special events, times, and places. It lets you record the specifics of an event – and it also allows you to share that event with friends and family, long after it’s done and gone. I love black and white photography, and by capturing a special moment in time, you can always remember it in crisp detail. Plus, those memories will eventually become part of your history, perhaps even family lore. And they won’t just be passed down through stories; they’ll be passed down through images, too. As the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”



I make art because I can’t not make art. I need to draw — my body needs it. I am glad to show my work, but ultimately I draw because I want to. A lot of the exposure I’ve received as an artist has been in fashion magazines. The art world thinks “He’s a model.” In the end, though, I think it’s wonderful if an artist gets any exposure—period. I take my work as an artist seriously, and that’s the most important thing.



From my first studies of art history at university, I’ve been attracted to Symbolism and Art Nouveau. I admire the works of Gustave Moreau, Ivan Bilibin, Aubrey Beardsley, and Léon Bakst. I love their color palettes and the great amount of detail they use. A few of my favorite pieces are Moreau’s Hesiod and the Muse and Angel Traveler, Bakst’s Cleopatre, and Ivan Bilibin’s Illustration for Alexander Pushkin’s ‘Fairytale of the Tsar Saltan’.



In my own art, I pay attention to details, the graphic quality and the line work, which are also the same qualities I enjoy in these artists’ works. Imagine the graphic black and white images of Aubrey Beardsley, his elaborate line work, the way he depicts nuances and his intricate compositions: there is so much information to sink your eyes into. All of my favorite artists work with figurative poses, and all of my art is figurative too. These artists make oil paintings and drawings, but their drawings are what I respond to most — I primarily make drawings, mostly in black and white.



I recognize beauty in all its various forms. Sometimes you have to go beyond the boundaries and try different things in order to find a new form of beauty. I am not afraid to experiment in order to create a fresh, new look. This applies to my work in art and in fashion. My art influences my modeling, and vice versa, because my art reflects my life.



I am constantly drawing inspiration from my everyday experiences– from my surroundings, the places I visit, the people I meet, and even from the clothes I wear. As a student, before I started modeling, I would draw people on the train. When I transitioned into modeling, I started drawing backstage. My art is like a diary of my life. The process of modeling was a new and exciting experience, and I relived it in my art and the themes in my art once again reflected that environment.



In my art I like to reuse and recycle materials. I’ll keep things I think are beautiful and find a way to incorporate them. When I go to the ballet I save the ticket stubs and then work them into a collage. Life itself is a continuous source of inspiration.



Robberto currently has 2 other avatars: Damon and Dorian