We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alfonso Apodaca III a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alfonso , thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
Being the only one in the room… that’s a kind of seduction. It’s the art of walking into a space that wasn’t painted for you and deciding you’ll be the color it never knew it needed. You learn to move different…slow, intentional, aware of your rhythm when everyone else moves to a song you’ve never heard. You speak less, but everything you say carries heat, meaning, gravity. Over time, you stop asking for space; you become it. You learn that power isn’t in blending in…it’s in standing out so beautifully that the room has no choice but to shift around you.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’m Alfonso Apodaca III, an artist who doesn’t just create, but seduces the senses. My work lives where desire meets discipline, where movement becomes memory. Every piece I make carries pulse…a hint of smoke, a trace of skin, a moment caught between pleasure and purpose. I’m drawn to what’s felt before it’s understood, to that raw space where beauty gets a little messy, a little wild.
What excites me most is the intimacy of it all. The way color breathes. The way light touches a surface like it knows it shouldn’t but can’t resist. My art is about presence…that quiet, undeniable pull that makes you stop, look, and want. It’s less about showing something beautiful and more about revealing something honest.
Right now, I’m exploring new forms…blending fine art, movement, and sound into experiences that make people feel seen. There’s a new collection coming that’s bold, unapologetic, and a little dangerous… something meant to be felt on the skin, not just admired from a distance.
My brand is simple: I am the art. The energy, the tension, the release…it all lives inside the work. Every piece is a confession, a seduction, a slow exhale captured in color. For those who step into my world, it’s not just art…it’s an invitation.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back, the three things that shaped me most weren’t just skills…they were seductions.
Presence. There’s power in how you move through a room, how you breathe life into silence. I learned that when you show up fully…grounded, unbothered, magnetic… the world bends a little to meet your energy. Presence isn’t about being loud; it’s about making people listen without a word. My advice? Learn to command a moment simply by existing in it.
Intuition. That quiet voice beneath logic…the one that hums when you’re close to truth… that’s your compass. I’ve learned to trust it more than any plan or rulebook. The best art, the best choices, the best moves…they come from that deep, instinctual knowing. For those starting out: get still enough to hear your own pulse, and create from there.
Resilience. The path tests you…it strips you bare, exposes your edges, and asks how badly you really want it. I’ve learned to find beauty in that hunger, to turn the struggle into rhythm. Every scar has its own shine if you let it catch the light.
At the end of it all, art…and life…are about seduction. You learn to dance with risk, to court uncertainty, to fall in love with becoming. The mystery isn’t something you solve; it’s something you wear.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
The greatest teachers in my journey have been my daughters, Libby and Zoe. They are the mirrors and the muses.
Libby, the artist, draws the world the way I wish more people could see it…through softness, curiosity, and unfiltered wonder. She reminds me that creation is supposed to feel like play, like discovery, like falling in love with the unknown. Her hands hold the kind of magic that can turn silence into shape, thought into form.
Zoe, she’s the fire…the mind and the muscle, the calm strength that doesn’t need to announce itself. She moves with intention, thinks with precision, and reminds me that art isn’t just emotion…it’s endurance. She’s proof that intellect can be sensual, that power can be quiet and still make the earth shift.
Together, they are balance, grace and grit, heart and brilliance. Both carry light in their smiles, that kind of beauty you don’t just see…you feel. They remind me daily why I create, and who I’m becoming. In their presence, I don’t just make art…I am it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://alfonso-apodaca-iii.square.site/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legendaryarts?igsh=MWk0Z3FlZDU4aGx5eQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Eq1de1sr6/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfonso-apodaca-iii-92499513?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
