Grabbys Spotlight: XTIANKO
Targeting trophies in Torremolinos.
As we count down towards the Grabby Awards in Torremolinos, we caught up with XTIANKO.
XTIANKO is nominated in three categories:
- Actor of the Year
- Best Bottom
- Best Versatile
You've said that winning a Grabby Award would be important to you because it would be recognition for all the hard work involved. How did you discover and begin exploring that acting in front of the camera and creating content was something you were passionate about?
The truth is that it was all a product of chance. I uploaded a photo to Instagram - in which nothing was visible - and they censored it, which made me very angry.
A photographer friend recommended that I create a profile on Twitter - something I hadn't thought about. I started my Twitter without any other intention than uploading shirtless photos that Instagram censored.
Unexpectedly, I went viral and people started asking me for more explicit content. Event though I didn't have an OnlyFans account at the time, renowned international actors were writing to me asking for collaborations. So, I started experimenting with more explicit content.
For the first few months, my content was very tame - nude photos, some erotic games. As I gained more followers, I loosened up and started creating more explicit content on my own - and then, one thing leads to another.
Besides enjoying it, it makes you less inhibited, and it's financially beneficial, and before you know it, you're in the industry. That's been my process, in a nutshell.
Do you consider yourself an exhibitionist?
I think my content has grown progressively as I became more comfortable with public nudity.
With the work that we do, exhibiting ourselves is what gets us where we are - I don't think it's about whether we consider ourselves exhibitionists or not as just by being in this world you simply are. It's understood that we feel comfortable and like being looked at.
What was your relationship with your body like when you were growing up? Have you always felt comfortable taking your clothes off in front of others?
I've always been very shy - ever since I was little. Even changing clothes in a public locker-room made me incredibly embarrassed.
I didn't really start to loosen up until I got into porn.
I suppose seeing that people enjoy your body helps you lose certain insecurities you developed as a child, although I think the way I was raised to hide nudity also influenced how I perceived modesty around a naked body when I was little.
These days, I can say that it doesn't bother me at all.
How has your work in the adult entertainment industry changed how you experience intimacy?
One of the things that has most shaped my style - both in creating content and in experimenting privately - is a feedback loop of my fantasies.
In my private life, I fantasise about different practices, styles, situations - I've been able to act those fantasies out in scenes. The process of filming content has led to the development of new fantasies in my private life - I can then take the excitement of those fantasies and use that to create new content.
What makes a good collab?
I always want my collaborations to feel natural. I choose to collab with guys that I like, that I'm comfortable with, and that I feel good vibes with.
For me, a scene that feels natural works better than when everyone is acting and it seems more professional. I prefer working with amateur guys where everything feels more real and authentic.
Gareth Johnson
Beyond the Grabby Awards, what else is on your vision-board for the coming months?
I've always been involved in show business. I've done a lot of theatre, cabaret shows, concerts - I'm a very creative person - and I've realised over the years that the best thing is not to set big goals, but to work, feel what you do and let that passion take you to the next level.
I'm currently feeling very fulfilled with my live performances and the somewhat different approaches I take in them. The live audience is everything to me! I'm almost fully-booked with shows for the entire year, so I see myself fulfilling all my commitments and offering new concepts that blend more artistic disciplines with the world of pornography.
Gareth Johnson