PichiAvo

The artistic duo PichiAvo is made up of Valencian artists Juan Antonio Sánchez (Pichi) and Álvaro Hernández (Avo). Both studied Fine Arts and Design and met in Valencia’s graffiti scene in 2007. It was then that they decided to begin working together and formed PichiAvo. They are known for their distinctive Urban Mythology style, which fuses classical art with contemporary urban art, creating a unique visual identity. Their work has earned them international recognition, from creating the second-largest urban art mural in the world in Porto to painting the iconic Houston Bowery Wall in New York City.

PichiAvo: two people, one artwork. How did this symbiosis come about? How did you find a balance between the two of you?

It was a natural, unplanned process. We met while doing the same activity but working separately, and little by little we realized that together we could achieve much more. Mutual trust was always at the core of the relationship, and we deliberately set aside the egocentric side that many artists can sometimes have. That is probably the key, along with our belief in the collective “we” as a working team.

Your artistic style has become associated with the concept of Urban Mythology through the combination of graffiti aesthetics, classical art, and Greco-Roman mythology. Did this emerge organically? How did you develop this artistic language through collective work?

Although we are not entirely sure how the term Urban Mythology originated, it is true that it expresses what we do both visually and conceptually. However, we do not really believe in labels or categories because we do not want our work to have limits.

We always try to ensure that the nature and creation of each piece are organic rather than forced. In that way, you express who you are honestly and can genuinely stand behind your work because it becomes part of you.

The world we try to create becomes richer when it emerges from collective thinking. It benefits from multiple viewpoints, and concepts grow through shared knowledge. No one can encompass everything alone, which is why teams exist—to nurture a language, an idea, and bring it closer to the perfection we seek, always serving the artistic concept while respecting each individual involved.

Aesthetics and beauty have always been debated concepts in philosophy and art history. Every era has its own standards of beauty, and art often reflects these changing ideals. Would you say your work transcends or questions some of the aesthetic boundaries rooted in contemporary art?

We could spend hours discussing aesthetics and beauty—it is a subject we are passionate about.

Our style questions and plays with the boundaries of what many people consider beautiful, and that is a game we enjoy. Take classical sculptures, for example. Today, many people consider them beautiful in the state in which they are displayed in museums, with their white marble exposed. Yet this was not always the case. Originally, they were painted in color and intended to reflect reality, and at that time that was considered beautiful.

What do we do? We position ourselves somewhere between those two eras, offering our own interpretation. Rather than directly questioning contemporary standards of beauty, we try to disrupt what people perceive as normal and visually comfortable.

By combining classical art with graffiti—something that not everyone considers an art form—you create a space for a wide range of reactions. What do you hope to generate in people who see your work for the first time? Is provocation something negative for you?

We try to provoke emotions and encourage reflection about what viewers are seeing. That is the intention behind the visual impact of our work: bringing together an element that many people still do not fully accept as art with classical art, which is often overlooked.

Sometimes this fusion can be perceived as visual provocation, but for us it is simply a way of celebrating and elevating two worlds that we are deeply passionate about.

Greco-Roman mythology reflects the concerns, customs, hierarchies, and daily life of Ancient Greece and Rome. How do you translate these stories and legends into a contemporary context?

We have always believed that there is much to learn from the past, and that many situations from earlier times still remain present in today’s society.

Sometimes we adapt myths to the present because we feel certain aspects have become outdated as society evolves. In other works, however, we preserve the original myth and its meaning. Through this approach, we tell stories from history that help us understand who we are and where we should be heading.

How do the context and environment of public space influence the conceptualization of your work?

The influence of place is inevitable and essential. It is something we must be aware of; otherwise, the artwork would lose part of its meaning.

We love observing and experiencing the places where we work so that we can create something specifically connected to that location.

Large-scale murals, sculptures, container murals, the Valencia Fallas… Although you have worked within the same visual language for many years, you continue to surprise audiences with new pieces, materials, and formats. Do you feel that artistic evolution now depends on experimenting with new techniques and formats? What role do research and studio work play in this process?

If you look back over our career, you will see that experimentation has always been present. The results of experimentation are not always immediately visible—it often takes time for them to emerge.

Today, we are producing works based on ideas and techniques we experimented with two or three years ago, while what we are experimenting with now may only become visible in the future.

Experimentation is fundamental to an artist’s career. Current production and experimentation must grow simultaneously because without the research and work carried out in the studio, what we create today would not exist.

When executing a mural in public space, how much of the process is improvisation and how much is planned in advance?

All the graffiti backgrounds in our murals are improvised. We may have a general idea beforehand, but we consider that part of the process to be rooted in spontaneity.

The background is important because it adds nuances to the classical figure, which is usually the more academic element and is carefully planned through sketches beforehand. Both components must remain balanced in order to achieve a fresh result that still leaves room for improvisation.

In 2019, you painted a mural featuring the Greek goddess Athena at the new Temprano Capital Partners student residence in Esplugues (Barcelona). The building was specifically designed to include a mural on its main façade. Why do you think more and more private companies and brands are investing in urban art projects?

The audience for urban art continues to grow, and younger generations have grown up alongside this movement.

We are now at a moment when those generations are reaching positions of responsibility and decision-making power. They are becoming managers, directors, and leaders, and that change is noticeable.

Fortunately, this is leading to an increasing number of projects like the one in Esplugues.

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