Mr. Frivolous: The Art of Words, Identity, and Felt-Tip Mastery

Mr. Frivolous doesn’t just make art - he lets it escape. His work is a mix of bold visuals, raw emotion, and words that demand to be seen, rather than just read. He doesn’t sit down with a plan or agonise over the perfect phrase; he just lets whatever’s in his head spill out onto the page.

He works in felt-tip pens, refuses to bow to digital trends, and has strong feelings about AI (spoiler: it's not his favourite). This is an artist who creates on instinct, taps into nostalgia, and makes you feel something.

You often incorporate text into your artwork, blending visuals with words in a unique way. How do you decide on the phrases or messages that appear in your pieces?

I try not to overthink too much about matching the right words with the right images. I just let whatever mood I am in at the moment dictate what I am allowed to write. I hate planning things out.

I have so many words living in my head and phone I just need them out, be it as a written piece of with my art.

Many of your pieces include the number '1823', are you able to share what this number (year?) means to you?

So from the age of 18 to 23 was (at the time) the best period of my life. It was a very exciting time. So I squashed the two numbers together and that's how 1823 was born.

Many of your works seem to reflect themes of identity, culture, and nostalgia. How do personal experiences shape your creative process?

Life experiences and human behaviour will always make it's way into my work. I don't really do self portraits but there is always a piece of me in whatever I draw. I was thinking recently about how a certain negative experience in my life created a whole new art style that I would have never dreamed of doing (the Art Therapy series).

Your choice of felt-tip pens as a primary medium is quite unconventional in fine art. What challenges and advantages come with working in this medium?

I work with marker pens because they are very easy to use and have been doing so since I was a child. I've been telling myself that I will experiment with other mediums, which I kind of have, but I'm way too comfortable with what I already know.

In the era of digital art and AI-generated works, what are your thoughts on the future of traditional hand-drawn art?

AI is a bit of a virus within the creative community at the moment. I'm not too sure how I feel about it yet. I completely understand the outrage and feel the frustration with it myself, but I have seen some very interesting images created from it. I don't have a clue what the future holds with traditional hand drawn art or how badly AI may affect it, but I'm sure we will all soon find out. I for one have every intention to keep drawing because it is one of my loves.

If you could collaborate with any artist - past or present- who would it be and why?

I have definitely collaborated with an artist that I have admired since forever and that is David Bray. Very talented and kind human. I'd also love to work with Albert Reyes. His work is incredible!

You can find Mr. Frivolous on Instagram @mrfrivolous

Interview by Johnny Larran, 2025.