Juanco – “I like to play with the concept of evolution”

Creative Chair talk illustration with Juanco

This week Creative Chair is in Lima, Peru where we’re talking to illustrator and Diseñador Grafico (Graphic Designer) Juanco.

Juanco uses a broad range of visual styles and his strongly influenced by the culture and history of his country.

You can see a lot more on Behance.

Firstly, could you tell us a little more about yourself and what you do?

I am a graphic designer, illustrator and post-producer from Lima, Peru.

I graduated as a graphic designer at PUCP (Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú).

Since I was a kid, I liked to draw and create characters, I also liked the ancient history of my country, and I have always tried to introduce something of my cultural legacy into my works.

I have worked as a post-producer for some companies in the field of advertising for ten years, especially making motion graphics and effects.

At the same time, I have dedicated to the illustration and design of characters for some projects in progress, as well as to the realisation of my own projects of characters related to the culture of my country, especially the Andean region.

Your portfolio demonstrates a range of visual styles. Who/what are some of your inspirations behind the styles?

My main source of inspiration has been the pre-Columbian culture of my continent, but especially my country, the Mochicas, Chavin, Inca, Chachapoyas, Wari, etc. I have been influenced by his iconography as a child, as well as the great variety of cultures and styles of design that have emerged in my country and on the continent.

I as for the style of design, I have always liked geometric and harmonic forms, I do not have a particular style or influence (or that is what I would like to think) since I always like to explore new ways to give a modern style to my designs.

As for my character illustrations, I like to play with the concept of evolution of the old designs of my culture and give a little fantasy sci-fi to the things that I usually create

What is your favourite personal project (and why?)

There are two types of personal projects that, to be honest, I cannot separate.

The first is from the series I call FUTURISTA, where I try to create fantasy-like sci-fi characters where I use the designs or Amazonian jungle) and I try to give them a new use when evolving the design, for me it is a very fun exercise of creativity and where when exploring the iconography or the old stories, I learn about the place where I live … this does it, an open project that may not have an end.

The second is a pure and general design project, I try to create and experiment with shapes and colour, but also using special types of characters that wear masks or figures of animals and anthropomorphs.

And finally, if you died and got reincarnated as a song, what would that song be?

Mala Sangre – from La Liga del Sueño