Bored Panda reached out to Tiago, who shared what motivated him to start creating these makeovers. He wrote: “The desire to make these historical figures, whom I admire so much, more accessible and appealing to everyone.”

We were wondering how the environment and culture of Porto influence Tiago’s artistic work and the choices he makes.

He commented: “The city, just like Instagram, is my main source of inspiration. Porto has experienced a tourism boom in recent years, and my collection "As an Influencer" is a reflection on this tourism of selfies and Instagram, where everything is perfect.”

Tiago also shared more about the process of selecting and transforming historical artists into modern-looking figures.

“I have several photographers and models I collaborate with, which is why you can see not only the city of Porto but also London, Paris, or even Tokyo in the backgrounds of my works. I conduct exhaustive research to find the best photo that fits the artist I intend to work on. This is undoubtedly where I spend the most time in the process. In the end, I edit the photo in Photoshop to achieve the desired final result.”

Tiago seems to like surrealism and classical painting. Therefore, we were curious to learn how these artistic influences were reflected in his current work.

“These influences allow me to create compositions that mix reality with imagination. I am truly free in my creations, and that's what I love most about my work,” wrote Tiago.

And lastly, the artist shared what challenges come up when creating these photos.

“Working with the best photographers and being rigorous in my edits. If I don't like something, I don't publish it.”