Kay Aranzanso aka darlingkink shares how Erotica goes beyond Sexuality

Even in contemporary times, Filipinos still tend to shy away from the discussions of sex and pleasure. This is why the success of Kay Aranzanso, known artistically as darlingkink, is momentous and difficult to grasp. As of this writing, her Instagram, where she posts all her work, has over a hundred thousand followers. Her candid artworks take the female pleasure at the front and center — placing women equally to men when it comes to enjoying sex. Her minimalist and forthright depiction of sex shows that it goes beyond the act of making love. Sex also connotes intimacy, desire, and equivalence. Beyond the bedroom, sex also shapes politics and public discourse, and vice versa. 

What’s the story behind the darlingkink name? When did your artworks formally become under the darlingkink alias?

I started publishing my “erotic” artworks back in 2015 while the name came about one drunken night in 2016. However, I did start drawing erotica way earlier. I just didn’t have the guts or the platform to publish it back then. There was really no intense thought process behind the name; I just wanted something original that would hint on what I do. It just kind of stuck (fortunately) when I started using it.

Do you remember your first erotic artwork? What was it like? 

If we’re talking about the very first one, I’d have to dig it out from my old high school sketch pads. I didn’t know it yet but what I was doing could in fact fall under the erotic genre. I could confidently say, however, that it all began with my fascination with the female body. I started labeling my work as pin-up back in college and as I grew more exposed to all kinds of art, my pin-up works gradually became more and more “provocative.”

What made you decide to dwell in erotica?

Like I said, it was the female body that became an obsession. I wanted to capture the grace of the female figure in all of its forms, and erotica afforded me that chance to observe and put into paper what I saw. Erotica was such a natural step into my art journey that it felt more and more natural as I began to publish these types of works. Unfortunately, after graduating, there was no chance for me to do erotica, so I became a generic sort of illustrator, as well as a graphic designer.

Did you encounter objections from your peers when you were starting?

Not overtly, but I did alienate the audience that I started with. I was a member of Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan, and I was also an educational toy designer for a local company. Naturally, my portfolio as well as the shows and exhibits I joined consisted more of children’s illustrations. Ang INK introduced me to the local art scene so joining them was fruitful and ultimately insightful for me.

You also work at a branding and graphic design studio. How did you manage to sustain success in both of your endeavors at the same?

Well, I did my darlingkink “stuff” on the side so it wasn’t much of a challenge to sustain both. Success though is a different concept altogether, and I don’t think I can say I’ve been successful in both. I want to say that I love both art and design equally and I know they serve to balance my creative energies.

You’ve also worked on illustrations, tattoos, clothing, gin botanicals, and card games. What is your favorite among these projects?

I definitely loved working on Happy Endings because it sort of became a throwback for me back when I was designing education games and toys for kids. This time, with Happy Ending, it was for adults and it was erotica! Birdie Salva and Arlene Sy-Salva were the best clients to work with. They knew what they wanted the game to be. This project made use of all the skills I’ve accumulated over the years as both designer and artist so it was memorable.

How do these projects usually come about? How do you deal with these varying projects?

I get all sorts of inquiries but I only take on projects that I like and believe in. Ultimately, I want to be able to have fun in my darlingkink projects so that’s what I strive for at the very least. Of course, skills-wise I only take on projects that are within my scope as both designer and artist.

Can you tell us something about Foolish Hearts? 

I’ve long been enamored by local pocket books but I only started reading them when I worked on Foolish Hearts. It was a presence in my lola’s shelves so I’ve been exposed to them ever since. I would passively browse them when I was a child and one of the most memorable instances for me was reading how a man made love to a woman in blow-by-blow detail. I think back on it and I realize that pocket books might be the only enduring and accepted form of erotica in the Philippines read by a mass of Filipino women whose fantasies are there in mass-produced print.

Do these novels have a personal appeal to you?

Of course, but it might not be for the same reasons as the typical Pinay.

That is an interesting thought. Could you elaborate on that?

I suppose it’s because I’m more of an observer, viewing this type of novel as a rare phenomenon in our culture because of its unabashed portrayal of Filipina sexuality.

You mentioned in an interview that pocketbooks and telenovelas are universally accepted forms of erotica. Do you envision your artworks to be universally-accepted in the future?  

I’d argue that it already is but people still hide the fact that they look at such erotic images, you know, just like porn. I just meant that pocketbooks are so prevalent that people don’t hide them even if they’re some of the most graphic and smutty literature around.

What’s your creative process in creating artwork and products? And have you thought of exploring other topics beyond sex and erotica in your works?

Some of my projects involve a lot of design while the digital artworks I post are kind of ephemeral to me. I already do discuss a lot more than actual sex in my artworks. I’d like to think that sex is only the surface, allowing for discussions that are within the realm of intimacy such as love, romance, loneliness, desperation, dependency.

Do you recall how the Foolish Hearts collaboration started?

To be honest, I just picked talented friends who luckily said yes the first time I asked. I thought what they made individually could work in the narrative I was planning to tell in Foolish Hearts. I had collaborations with Ayer (Talik Trilogy book covers and design) and Janina (Punctuations, a year-end collaboration by Nobody) before while I was also in talks for some projects that didn’t push through with 13LuckyMonkey and Zei.

In one of your previous interviews a few years back, you mentioned that the general attitude of Filipinos regarding sex “haven’t changed a bit”. Is the answer still the same now in 2020?

Yes, in the grand scheme of things, and it seems like we’re regressing as a society as well [laughs]. Just look at who we voted into power and what they are doing to our essential freedoms. Of course, there is hope present in the young and the principled but I remain a cynic.

There’s an ongoing movement that challenges the Rape Culture in our country. Can you tell us your thoughts about it?

Men are trash. 

Do you think that the affirmation of one’s sexuality is necessary for women empowerment?

Of course, isn’t that true for anybody regardless of gender? But more to your point: I think when I frame what I produce in the perspective of the Filipina (being one as well), it’s always a boost in terms of how we as a collective view how the Filipina should behave sexually, intimately. I dream of a simple future and it is one where I don’t hear the phrase “kababae mong tao”.

How optimistic are you about the future of female empowerment in the Philippines?

Araw-araw ay isang hamon para sa isang babae ngunit matatag at matibay ang puso’t kaluluwa ng mga kababaihang patuloy na lumalaban sa mga mapaniil at mapangalipusta. Hindi man natin makikita ang bunga ng ating mga ipinaglalaban ngayon, tuloy tayong lalaban at mananatiling matatag. (Everyday is a struggle for a woman but her strong and immovable heart and soul will continue to withstand those who oppress and devalue her. We may not see the end result of what we are fighting for today,but we must persist and remain headstrong.)

If you are inspired by her story and advocacy, it would be great to show your support through getting this “Foolish Hearts” collaborative t-shirt with artist and designer, Kay Aranzanso aka darlingkink. It is inspired by local pocket books and its role in expressing a form of erotica to the masses through print and different love stories.