JUAN – COLOMBIAN ARTIST

JUAN TALKING THE DARK SIDE OF CREATIVITY

The dark side of creativity is something few artists speak of openly. For Colombian performer Juan, it’s part of his truth. His relationship with his art is more than passion. It’s survival. Art lives in his body, floods his thoughts, and gives purpose to every step he takes on and off the stage.

In this exclusive IRK Magazine interview, Juan invites us into his world. It is a world shaped by movement, storytelling, discipline, and desire. Now based in New York City, he is navigating a creative life in one of the world’s most demanding and dynamic artistic capitals. For Juan, New York isn’t just a place to work. It’s where his dream took root and began to evolve.

From a young age, Juan looked up to Colombian artists who had made it internationally. Watching them succeed gave him the courage to believe in his own path. That early inspiration taught him that hard work, vulnerability, and vision could break through borders. Today, those values shape everything he does.

Dance and acting are equally essential to his identity. Both are tools for communication. In dance, he uses his body to build character and emotion. In acting, the process starts in the mind. He explores a character’s history, psychology, and voice. Then he transforms that internal world into physical presence. Though different in approach, both disciplines serve one goal. They tell a story.

But the creative process doesn’t come without shadows. Juan knows the darker side of creativity intimately. He has experienced the moments of doubt, burnout, and emotional weight that threaten to silence expression. Juan embraces these moments not as failure. He sees them as part of the cycle. They fuel new ideas and new characters and open doors to unexpected directions.

Staying Grounded

What keeps him grounded is family. Their unwavering support, especially from his grandmother, is woven into his journey. Their belief in his path gives him the strength to keep going. Even when the process feels overwhelming, their presence reminds him that he is not alone. Juan believes that love, like art, is transformative.

This is not just a story of a rising performer. It is a meditation on the artist’s internal world. It is a reflection on what it means to create honestly and to struggle beautifully. Juan lives in that vulnerable space where light meets shadow. He doesn’t run from the dark side of creativity, he walks through it. He transforms it and he uses it to fuel the fire that keeps his art and his heart alive.

IRK: What inspired your move to New York City and how do you feel the city will affect your career growth as an artist?

JUAN: New York has been a part of my family’s dinner table conversations for my whole life. Movies, music, fashion, and history featuring New York have always been extremely inspiring. The city has been in my dreams for a lifetime and in my plans since I majored in theater college. New York City offers endless opportunities for artists. The fact that I can audition for projects multiples times a week is priceless gift. The excessive amount of creative people and projects in this city is overwhelming and stimulating in the best of the ways. I feel proud and blessed to call this city my home.

IRK: What were some of your earliest inspirations as a young artist?

JUAN: Watching Colombian artists shine in international show business has been a big motivator for me. It’s remarkable to grow up knowing that there are people from your home country making their dreams come true on a global stage while giving the message to young people that your dreams will become reality when you work hard and quiet your fears. I have been inspired to constantly have the mindset to fight with passion and determination.

IRK: Tell us why acting is so fulfilling for you?

JUAN: It is impossible to put into words. That is why we make art; it’s a language that surpasses any other. We create art when words are not enough to tell our story. Being a storyteller fills my soul with awareness and gives me the need to be intrigued to know more and to understand human interactions. I get to know myself and the world through my craft and that is the best gift.

IRK: Juan describe the difference in approach to learning choreography for a new dance piece vs. opening a script for the first time and becoming a new character?

JUAN: Dance and acting are really connected in a way that both approaches are willing to tell stories. When learning choreography, even though your body has muscle memory, you are still setting intentions, building a character, and creating a story just as in acting. When acting, you spend much more time in your head trying to understand the characters reality, backstory, and creating their own world. Then you put that in your body to give the character a physical presence. That is where both the dance and acting worlds converge to create a piece. Everything is connected, body and brain. Dance and acting have different initial approaches but in the end they are both about storytelling.

IRK: What does your art mean to you and how would you define yourself as an artist?

JUAN: My art is my life and my life is my art. I find myself when I am working in my craft, I answer all my internal questions and navigate through any obstacles. My art keeps me alive.

IRK: Juan inspires you as a dancer and an actor? Where do you find your inspiration from when becoming a new character for a role?

JUAN: I get most inspired by the endless amount of references that exist around me. Life is the best inspiration, I learn a lot by watching people pass by on the street. I also constantly keep myself surrounded by art. I love movies, books, music, and theater. To get a script and start the creation of a new character is a process that varies depending on many elements. I feel very motivated when learning new realities, new people, to be an instrument and let my body and voice be taken by another human being. It’s beautiful experience.

IRK: How has the support of your family affected your career as an artist?

JUAN: The support from my family is the key of my love for what I do. Their admiration and support can be translated in the way I believe in art as an instrument of social transformation. I feel grateful every day for my family and their loving words. My abuela’s constant prayers are a huge reason that I am in New York City today, building the career of my dreams. I love my family. They are my rock when I feel unstable. It’s really important for me to have a group of people I can trust when things don’t feel right. They don’t have to be your blood family. They can be friends, neighbors, or coworkers. Finding good people that care about your art and support your projects is a blessing.

PHOTO: ALBERTO VALLE-GUTIÉRREZ @SXUICUNE
STYLE + CREATIVE DIRECTION: INDIGO BOY DAVID @INDIGOBOYDAVID
MUSE: JUAN @JUUUAAAAANNN 

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