Laagres Bellator: The Art of Angst

Interview by Fred Berger
Artwork by Laagres Bellator

Always on the lookout for beauty, whether in the form of an individual, a piece of literature, or a work of art, someone embodying all three of these aesthetic qualities has fortuitously come to my attention. This young Mexican artist, Laagres Bellator, not only has model good looks, but also a body of illustrative and literary work that meets the definition of a Renaissance person. With the insight of a postmodernist philosopher, the imagination of an avantgarde surrealist, and the appearance of a Botticelli angel, LB’s poetically idiosyncratic moniker is evocative of something sublime and mysterious. Defying labels and definitions is the very essence of a maverick operating under their own laws and principles to convey something of meaning and importance. Given such profundity of character, it’s little wonder that self-portraiture is a common theme for this genuinely unique personage. With an obvious aptitude for self-reflection and expression, I have provided Laagres the opportunity to explain the motives and methods which have given rise to an up-and-coming new talent who is gaining recognition and influence in Mexico as well as abroad.

This color photo depicts the artist Laagres Bellator, whose hair is long and brown and parted in
the middle, and who has burgundy lipstick and dark eyeshadow, and wears a black blouse with
a decorative ivory brooch. Youthful and androgynous, Laagres would make as good a model
as an artist. This image is a bust shot, and the background is a white wall.

Looking like a figure from an Italian Renaissance painting, Laagres Bellator has a sense of style as varied and intriguing as this visionary young artist’s work.

FB: How did you find out about Propaganda Magazine?
LB: I first became aware of Propaganda Magazine through individual photographs I encountered independently. The visual qualities of these images, their composition, use of light and shadow, and choice of locations, along with their conceptual references, immediately drew my attention. This initial interest led me to seek out the source of the photographs, through which I discovered the magazine.

FB: You are quite androgynous and could quality as a Propaganda model. How has that shaped your outlook or approach to art, life, and love?
LB: For me, androgyny represents the possibility of existing beyond rigid categories. In my art, this translates into an interest in liminal spaces: identities in transition, bodies that resist definition, and emotional states that are complex rather than fixed. On a personal level, androgyny has shaped my outlook by making me more attentive to nuance not only in gender, but in life and love as well. I value emotional depth, sensitivity, and authenticity over prescribed roles. In love, this means I’m drawn to connections where both people can exist fully as themselves, without performing expectations tied to masculinity or femininity.

This black & white illustration is a self-portrait of Laagres Bellator, whose face is on the right
side of the image looking toward the viewer. With dark eyeshadow and lipstick, the face is half
illuminated. On the left side of the image is a nondescript object that is made of what appears
to be shiny black leather – it almost looks like a boot, but this is open to interpretation.

This untitled self-portrait captures the sense of mystery which characterizes much of Laagres’ illustrative output. Hand drawn with ink on cardboard and digitally retouched.

FB: How do you see yourself in the world, as an artist and a person?
LB: I do not see myself as defined by a fixed identity, either as an artist or as a person. Rather, I understand myself as a creator who values freedom of expression and the openness of the creative process. I am more interested in remaining attentive, receptive, and responsive to the world than in occupying a predetermined role or position.

FB: Who or what inspires you the most?
LB: My primary inspiration comes from society itself, as well as from literature and music. I am interested in translating specific concepts, structures, and lines of thought into the visual and material realm. Much of my work engages with the movement between languages and systems of meaning, exploring what happens when ideas shift from one code to another.

This red and black illustration depicts a screaming face, with one hand raised to its chin and
mouth. The face is gazing upwards with a horrified expression, with long messy hair scattered
around and over it. There seems to be smoke and flame all around, although it’s more
expressionistic than realistic. The scene is one of violence, anguish, and devastation.

In response to the world’s all too frequent violence, this piece entitled Internum conveys the anguish of its victims. Hand drawn with ink on cardboard and digitally retouched.

FB: What is your artistic educational background?
LB: I studied Italian literature at the university level and received an early education in visual arts during my preparatory studies, where my interest in image, form, and visual language first took shape. Alongside my academic training, I developed skills in the analysis and Spanish translation of Italian literary and critical texts. This practice has strengthened my attention to language and interpretation, which informs my artistic practice through critical inquiry, textual sensitivity, and interdisciplinary approaches.

FB: What is your greatest artistic achievement?
LB: My greatest artistic achievement has been the ability to sustain a free and independent creative practice. I consider it a significant accomplishment to create on my own terms, engaging with the themes, forms, and questions that genuinely matter to me, while remaining faithful to my ethical principles and to my aesthetic and intellectual concerns. This autonomy has allowed my work to develop with honesty and conceptual consistency.

This black & white illustration is essentially abstract, with shattering explosions of what could
be shredded human remains, but again its open to interpretation. But it is certainly unsettling
no matter how one looks at it.

Laagres’ abstract style is likewise informed by turmoil, as this piece, entitled Thoughts of a Night, strikingly conveys. Hand drawn with ink on cardboard and digitally retouched.

FB: What are you trying to express with your work?
LB: My work engages critically with violence, not to legitimize or aestheticize it, but to question its presence and repetition in everyday life. I am particularly interested in how constant exposure to violence can lead to desensitization and the dehumanization of its victims. Alongside this, I explore themes related to will, its contradictions, and its darker dimensions, often drawing from mythology and literature as symbolic frameworks for reflection.

FB: Do you ever experience disillusion with the artist’s life, and if so, how do you cope with it?
LB: Disillusion often makes me want to withdraw from the world. I struggle at times with a lack of motivation and with the feeling of meaninglessness. What keeps me moving forward is a quiet belief that there is a subtle, almost mysterious magic behind certain visions, images, sensations, and fleeting situations. It is difficult to define, but it feels as though nature itself speaks through symbolic or cryptic messages—small signs that restore a sense of wonder and purpose.

Laagres Bellator’s social media:
Facebook
Instagram

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