Today we’d like to introduce you to Shokka.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I’ve been making art all my life. In school, I would always draw on the margins of my papers, filling up every blank part of the paper with cartoons and doodles. Luckily, I had teachers that saw my talent and encouraged it, rather than putting me down for being a distracted. In High School I received a 5 on my AP design test, this really solidified that I could have a future with art. Before I knew it, I was enrolled in the UT Austin Design program and living a life I always wanted but never felt I could truly pursue.
As for my journey as Shokka, I read the book Show Your Work!, by Austin Kleon, and that really pushed me to put my work out in the world. I originally started the Shokka Instagram account to be my artistic outlet per Kleon’s advice. Over time, though, Shokka manifested into a skate brand where I screen printed shirts, made stickers, threw events, and tried “sponsoring” some skaters in Houston. I eventually turned the name back into my moniker so I could focus more on developing as an artist than as a brand where I need to sell shirts. This led me to illustrating and designing show posters for several venues and bands in ATX. I eventually was hit up by a creative agency, SLUG, who liked my work. I started working with them, making 2 weekly animations and other cool projects. I’m sure they just wanted me to be an illustrator because often they’d tell me, “not every graphic needs to be an animation”, but I wanted to use them as a challenge to improve and learn animation.
Please tell us about your art.
I make all kinds of art: paintings, screen prints, illustrations, and animations. I mostly have been focusing on teaching myself animation over the past 4 months or so. I make a lot of hand-drawn animations, where I will draw all the layers of animations physically on transparent paper. I then scan, digitally color, and compose my animations. I am inspired by nostalgia and bright, bold, colors. I think coloring my work is my favorite process; I have always tried to get every color possible into my work.
As for a message with my art, there isn’t necessarily a set message. I don’t like naming my work or making any idea too obvious, I like to leave the interpretation and emotion of the piece up to the viewer. I also find that problematic at times because of the state our world is in right now and the importance art can play in sending a message, so I am working on some projects that will go a little deeper into life and the human experience.
Do you have any advice for other artists? Any lessons you wished you learned earlier?
It’s really easy, in our social media society, to find other artists and compare yourself to them and let that take you down. I think that everyone has a unique style and way that they like to create. Just use those artists you admire as inspiration, but don’t think that because your work isn’t at their level that it isn’t valuable and worth sharing. There’s also that classic trope of the starving artist, and it’s true – making art can either be incredibly fulfilling but doesn’t pay the bills or pays the bills and doesn’t fulfill you. I guess just finding a balance between making art for yourself and making art for other people is very important.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
My work is all over my Instagram @shokka_ and website austinlinkinhoker.com. I am always down to do commissions, whether that’s an illustration, show poster, logo, animation, or even screen print of my work. I also still have some shirts for sale on Shokka.co and my new brand I started with my partner, Souther, at moxymakers.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: austinlinkinhoker.com moxymakers.com shokka.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shokka_/
Image Credit:
Souther Recio – for the picture of me
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