When I discovered the Instagram account of the 6ft 4, Cuban-born model and media artist Victor Calderon, like most people who see him, the first thing I thought was, “Damn, that man is FINE!”
Of course, I started following his account and was elated each time he posted one of his signature, sexy, semi-nude self-portraits. His images were purposely erotic but also as beautifully composed as they were arousing. It was apparent to me that there was a creative mind at work to present more of an experience for the audience, versus just posting another d*ck pic or ass shot.
As I engaged more with his online content – which briefly included a few NSFW videos with his ex-partner, I become a fan of his work. However, not just a fan of Victor – the sex object, but rather an admirer of his creative eye for bringing together sex appeal and art with coffee table book-like composition.
I wanted to learn more about this handsome, cafe-con-leche skinned, bearded man who sizzles in photos. A couple of weeks back, I knew the time had come to speak with Victor directly, after seeing stunning self-portraits he posted from his recent trip to Hawaii. So, I slid up in his DMs to request an interview, and he kindly agreed to have a chat with me. There is so much more to him then I expected, but he confirmed I was right to assess he is deliberate in his approach to separate provocative art from pornography.
Now with the quarantine lockdown still in full-affect and many of us looking for distractions to keep from going crazy, I am pleased to introduce this delicious subject for your viewing pleasure. But I also encourage you to read the interview as well, to learn more about Victor Calderon and the incredible journey that got him to America.
CA: Hey Victor! Thank you for speaking with me today! I appreciate it. So, tell me, what part of Cuba are you from?
Victor: Hi Corey, you’re welcome, and thank you for this opportunity to share my work with Instinct Magazine! I am from a little town in the state of provincia Sancti Spíritus. It’s in the middle of Cuba. There’s probably only 45 houses in the town. My dad died when I was eight years old, and after a few years, when I was 12, my mom decided to move our family to another town that was a little bigger, but still far from what you would call a big city.
Then, I got the chance to go to high school in Havana, so I went, and I stayed there for five years. After I graduated, I moved back closer to my family, where I worked a few more years before leaving Cuba.
CA: Oh, and that’s when you came to the US?
Victor: Well, I came here was the economy. Cuba is a beautiful country, but the economy is not the best. About ten years ago, my mom got sick with cancer, and I had always been helping my family as much as I could when
I was living and working in my country, but I decided to get out of Cuba so that I could help my family more.
I actually moved to Ecuador first. I lived there for two years, working and doing business. By the time I decided to come to the United States, I had become a citizen of Ecuador – which was easier to achieve than United States citizenship. At the time, there was still tension between Cuba and the United States, so being of Cuban nationality made it harder for me to come to the U.S.
So I decided to try to get to the Mexican border, which meant I had to travel 28 days through Central America, from Ecuador. I went through seven countries, crossing Columbia, which was a nightmare. Then into Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and walking 11 hours through Nicaragua.
CA: That’s a lot! It sounds like an exhausting journey, but Nicaragua is still not the US, so what happened then?
Victor: Well, I finally got to Mexico, but it was the worst experience because a drug cartel there basically kidnapped us. They demanded money to let us continue safely to the border. It was crazy. They held us for three days, demanding money from our families. So that’s what we did, we paid them, and we got to the border. But it was really scary. They actually had dead bodies in plastic bags in the backyard. They showed them to us to prove they were serious.
CA: OMG! That story is horrifying. I mean, first of all, that’s that sounds like a movie. You are so lucky to have gotten out of that situation by the grace of God. I’m happy you made it out without ending up in a plastic bag in the backyard.
Victor: Me too (Lol) I have all the proof of my travels, from Central America in photos and videos I took from all the countries as I was crossing. I still have all of it. I saved everything.
CA: Wow! You have to do a project with that content soon. That would be amazing. You’re safe now thankfully with far more pleasant travel experiences to share – like your recent trip to Hawaii. I love the stunning photos and video; you took some featuring yourself –nude, of course, lol. Many people know you as a nude model in homoerotic art, but you are also very talented behind the camera. Your Hawaii images really showcase your talent.
Victor: Thank you. Yes, well, I love Hawaii. This trip was my second time there. I first went in 2017 while waiting for about three years to get my green card. That time allowed me to travel throughout the country. I decided to visit Hawaii for my birthday, and I fell in love with it.
CA: What specific thing(s) about Hawaii made you fall in love with it?
Victor: So the first thing was the weather. The weather in Hawaii is almost the same as in Cuba. It’s beautiful. Then everything is green, everywhere you look, with beautiful mountains and amazing beaches. It reminded me of home. The people are lovely, and they live a simple life. I can see myself living there.
CA: I saw gorgeous images and videos of you hiking through the jungles, too, with a ruggedly handsome tour guide. You guys were chopping trough with machetes! It reminded me of the show Survivor.
Victor: Yes, that was my good friend Kevin. He lives in Hawaii and leads tours all over the islands, including the jungles. He knows every single mountain, waterfall, trial, forest, different places to camp, and all the beaches. He’s got unstoppable energy. So we went everywhere for nine days. Every single day we were either camping or hiking to some new place. For anyone considering a trip to Hawaii, I would recommend they get in touch with Kevin about his tour guide services. He’s the best.
CA: What was your most favorite thing to photograph in Hawaii?
Victor: Everywhere you look, it’s beautiful, but my favorite spot was on the easternmost point of Oahu – the Makapuu Point Lighthouse. It’s high up on a cliff, and on one side, there’s the ocean with massive waves, but then on the other side of the lighthouse, the sea is calm, with panoramic views.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/B8xMypyJLki/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
CA: It sounds beautiful. Were there other people around at the time, or was it like you had that world all to yourself?
Victor: Yes, it was pretty isolated, and in that environment, I also felt more comfortable without clothes, so I took them off. I love to be naked. I enjoyed being naked there and in the jungle, beaches, and under waterfalls. For me, that was the best part of my trip. When I started first started modeling years ago, I was in Dallas, and at some point, my first photographer asked how I felt about taking off my clothes. I did it, and it was the best shoot. I ended up being more confident naked.
CA: Yes, well speaking of that you being naked – A LOT, you recently posted images in your kitchen, naked, baking a cake. Do you really know how to bake, or were you just using kitchen props to make more sexy thirst trap photos for Instagram?
“Yes, I really do bake very well, and naked sometimes. When I do, I take pics.”
When I was going to school in Havana, I always used to buy homemade cakes from this old lady. Then one day, I just thought, why don’t I try to bake for myself? So I started to learn and bake, and actually, I became a good baker … with a good sense of humor.
My sister still owns the baking business I started in Cuba. She learned how to bake from me. Now she’s probably better than me lol, but don’t tell her I said that. One day I want to open my own gay coffee shop and bakery here in the US.
CA: Oh, honey, I’d be there. I’d be bringing all my friends. You could be just like The Bear-Naked Chef, but with cakes!
Victor: Lol, Yes! Maybe the “Bare Baker”
CA: Lol, I love it. I’ll be there. In the meantime, stay quarantined, wash your hands, wear your mask, and bake something delicious. Victor, thanks for your time. It’s so great to talk to you finally.
Victor: Thank you, Corey, you too!
I don’t know about you guys, but I would totally eat Victor’s cakes!
Follow Victor on IG and discover more on his photography page
Check out @Alakaitrailguides’ beautiful shots of Hawaii
