Artist Belin on creative innovation and finding inspiration in kids’ art

For our November merch drop, we partnered with an artist who is full of innovative energy. Miguel Angel Belinchón, aka Belin, is a Spanish artist credited with developing the Postneocubist movement in the art world. You can immediately identify his signature style in his graffiti work, but also in his sculptures and ceramics. For this month’s illustration, Belin collabed with 11-year-old Azril from the SDN 4 Batu Putih school in Lombok to create a surprising take on an animal-loving artwork.

Where it all began: cartoon characters on his home’s walls

Belin has been creating art for as long as he can remember, with his earlies memory being from when he was 4 years old. He recalls that he would sketch cartoon characters on the walls of his house in Linares, Spain. While many of us might have gotten in trouble for using the walls as a canvas, Belin’s family was supportive: “My family didn’t mind too much because they saw the passion I had for it even at such a young age. That’s when I knew art was going to be a part of my life forever.”

And so, it did. His passion for art only grew from that point on and at the age of 15 he started art training at the José Nogué school in Jaén. His time there didn’t last very long, though. According to Belin:

“Art school felt too rigid for me. They focused on traditional methods, and while I respect that foundation, I felt limited by the lack of experimentation. They weren’t open to street art, graffiti, or new media forms at the time. There was a big disconnect between what was being taught and what was happening in contemporary art on the streets. I needed freedom to express and evolve my own style, and that’s why I stepped away.”  

Not to worry, leaving art school may have been one of the best decisions that Belin ever made. It allowed him the freedom to explore art in his own way and develop his personal style without any of the school’s constraints. That’s how he found his preferred art medium: spray painting. “At 15, I was drawn to graffiti because of its immediacy and how it connected directly with people in public spaces. It wasn’t confined to galleries or traditional mediums—it was raw, fast, and challenging.” 

Developing his personal style and changing history

This period of unbridled creativity and experimentation finally culminated in Belin leaving his mark in history books to come: advancing the Postneocubist movement. What is Postneocubism? In Belin’s own words: “I wanted to take cubism further, combine its fragmented perspectives with modern elements, hyperrealism, street art, and the bold expression that comes from graffiti.”

The resulting fusion of cubism with hyperrealist details makes for artworks that surprise audiences and makes them question their perspective. And this is precisely what draws Belin to this style. 

“What draws me to Postneocubism is its ability to break apart reality and reshape it into something new... The blending of realism with cubist fragmentation feels like the perfect balance between control and chaos. It gives me the space to explore emotions and stories in a way that is dynamic and constantly evolving.”

But Belin is not just limited to graffiti. He also explores his style through sculptures and ceramics. This allows him to experiment with his art in different dimensions. “While spray painting is 2-dimensional, sculpture and ceramics allow me to work in 3D, to shape and manipulate the physical form.” As always, he never allows himself to be too limited in his creativity. 

With all this exploration, catching the eye of the art world was inevitable. Belin has created graffiti art for countless events and festivals, some of which being Grenoble Street Art Fest, “Este Es El Camino” x Disney +, and “No Tape Is The Game” x Nice Surprise Festival. When reminiscing on his favourite project so far, Belin says: “The Festival 23700 Arte Urbano Linares always stands out because it was in my hometown. There’s something special about creating art where you grew up, especially when you see how it impacts the local community. That connection to the place and the people makes it deeply personal for me.”

From wall murals to collabing with Indonesian school kids

Belin is no stranger to collabing with children. “I’ve worked with kids before in workshops, and their energy and excitement always inspire me. They remind me of the joy of creating without boundaries.” It’s as if children’s untapped imagination reminds him of his own strife to pushing the limits of his own creativity. Belin further elaborates: “Children see the world differently—they don’t limit themselves by thinking something is impossible or unrealistic. They just create. That kind of creativity is inspiring because it comes from a place of freedom. They aren’t afraid of breaking rules or trying new things, which is something I always strive to do in my own work.”

With Belin’s incredible art style, laundry list of amazing projects, and passion for children’s creativity, reaching out to him for a collab was a no-brainer for us. Luckily, he was just as excited about working with Face This as we were! He recalls: “I was excited when I heard about the collaboration. It’s always an honour to be invited to share my work with new audiences, especially when it involves cross-cultural collaboration.”

With the expectation to create a piece that feels like a true blend of Azril’s drawing and his own style, Belin got started on the project. According to him, Azril’s drawing was the foundation of his final illustration. “I took inspiration from the animals he drew and integrated them into my postneocubist style, fragmenting them and reimagining them through my lens. The creative process was about balancing his vision of the island with my own interpretation, creating something that feels cohesive but still maintains our distinct voices.”

For the theme of ‘Makes you feel like home’ Azril drew a dog and a bird that he often sees on the island of Lombok. When pondering on how Azril related to the theme, Belin states: “I think those animals are a big part of his daily life, so for him, they represent familiarity and comfort—things that make a place feel like home. When you surround yourself with elements that you connect with, whether they’re animals, nature, or people, that’s what creates a sense of belonging.”

And the thing that makes Belin feel at home? Unsurprisingly, it’s wherever he feels free to express himself creatively. “It’s not just about a physical space; it’s about the people, the energy, and the environment that supports my art.”

Continuing to grow as an artist

After such a fun and inspiring collab, Belin reflects on what his favourite part of the process was: “My favourite part was seeing how our styles came together. Azril’s drawings had so much personality and life, and I enjoyed interpreting that through my own approach. The collaboration felt very natural, and it was inspiring to see how his perspective could inform and influence my work.”

At the end of this eye-opening interview, we just have one last question: how did this collab influence Belin as an artist? His response: “Collaborating with Azril reminded me of the importance of seeing the world through fresh eyes. His perspective brought new ideas and energy to my work, and I’ll carry that openness and playfulness forward in future projects. Every collaboration teaches me something new, and this one was no exception.”