Artist in residence

Street fighter The Chilean fantasy artist takes time out from his latest game artwork to talk self-designed studios and magical sofas

Genzoman shows us around his self-designed studio.

This year I moved from Santiago to the place I was born, Arica, near the border with Peru and Bolivia. My house is really close to the beach and although this is my third studio, it’s the first one that I really feel could be the definitive workspace. Not just because there’s a lot of space, but also because it’s the first studio I designed, so I feel really comfortable here.

I usually work side-by-side with my wife, with each of us concentrating on our respective projects. But I’m the kind of guy who’s more creative by night, so the studio is conveniently closer to the living room and far from the bedrooms. The best thing about working from home is that I don’t need to leave my house to have a workstation. I can see my two kids grow up and I’m always close to the people I love. My work never feels lonely because I have someone to give me opinions, help and support.

My usual working day begins at 9am. I have some toast and coffee or tea, and I’m ready to tackle some sketches for different projects. Right now I’m working on some covers for Street Fighter Unlimited and a game by Alderac Games. After a break for lunch, I walk a bit or go downtown for materials. I come back and keep working on the line art, creating the approved sketches all afternoon until my kids arrive. I usually play with them and then start painting at night when everything is calm, so I can listen to music or put a movie on in the background to watch while I’m working.

To the right of my shelves are art books by my favourite artists. To the left, books and comics I’ve worked on. Plus many comics and mangas I’ve collected over the years. Music! I used to study piano and composition as a kid. I used to compose stuff...