Photographer Sebastien Giraud – Talent Pepo Moreno – Interview by Marco Martello
First things first, what’s your earliest art-related memory?
I used to perform in front of my family. Quite dope, I was in charge of all the art direction of the whole thing: painting the backgrounds, writing the text, the choreography…I guess way more complete than what I do today.
You were born and grew up in Tortosa, Spain. If you close your eyes and think about your childhood in the Spanish countryside, what’s the first image you see?
Bikes and hot, long summer afternoons, and freedom and swimming pools, and just very Mediterranean clichés. My childhood was dope. My teenage years were a bit more complicated but still made me who I am today, so bless those days.
That being said, what’s your approach to art-making like? And how has your style changed since you first started painting?
I work quite chaotically if I may. I like exploring themes and ideas, and then playing with them and extracting what’s meaningful to me. After a period where I was really hard with myself and seeking perfection, which is absurd, I’m happy to be back where I actually started: just painting and exploring, and not thinking that much about the technique itself nor the result, but the idea and how much I enjoy it.
Returning to the previous question, you studied Communication and Advertising in your home country. What’s the most important lesson you learnt back then?
Telling stories. I think it’s the way I connect with people and art. I really think that if I have a superpower, this is it. Do not believe any of them, though.
Perhaps not everyone knows that you dreamt of a career in music. Have you ever regretted the decision of choosing art over music?
Of course, I regret it! Imagine being a super star. I envy so much performers, I think there’s a divine connection to their craft and I appreciate what they do so much. They bring so much power to people. Is it too late, though? I guess it is.
Looking back on your career, what’s a meeting that marked a turning point in your journey as an artist?
Definitely the meeting I had with Álvaro de la Fuente, Guitarricadelafuente. He gave me the present to create art pieces out of his songs and illustrate his first album, ‘La Cantera’. I’m forever grateful for this and so proud of Álvaro. He’s an amazing performer.
In 2019 you moved to Berlin, where you experience how broad the spectrum of queerness could be. What’s the first scent that comes to your mind when you think about this city?
It really depends on where you are, but mostly currywurst, dust, forest and sweat. I love Berlin very much. And I owe Berlin my first love and best friend.
Taking a step back and focusing on all the people that met through your work and that became friends of yours, what’s the handshake you’ll never forget and why?
I guess it was more like a virtual handshake but when I got the deal to publish my first book, ‘THIS IS A GAY BOOK’, with dear Pato Binaghi and Paripébooks. More than a handshake I guess it was a spank in the butt. Spanks are gay.
You’ve collaborated with fashion brands by the likes of Jean Paul Gaultier, Dsquared2, and Jacquemus. Is your creative process any different when you work on commission? And what’s the collaboration you remember with the most affection?
Yes, the way to collaborate in commission is quite different. I try not to lose myself in the brand. I try to look for what we have in common, where we can create and build bridges, and what the messages convey. Jean Paul Gaultier’s giant sex doll sailor inflatable dummy in the streets of Madrid? My highlight from 2025.
Pepo, I’d like you to take us for a walk around Paris, the city where you now live and work, to discover your favourite spots. Where should we meet?
Nice! We’d wake up early and go for a quick training and sauna (mind works when body works) at La Montgolfiere in Lamarck; then a quick pit stop at Recto Verso for the best coffee and scones in Paris; then I’d plan a gallery route with the app Cur8 (Perrotin, or Thadeus Ropac, and other great spots at Le Marais) and then walk to the 11ème to have lunch at Amatxi. Last but not least, I’d go to any given cafe tabac for a beer or tree and then dance at l’Station.
