Carlos Violante
Is a Strategic Designer from the tropics with a passion for latino pop art, cumbia, telenovelas and everything cute, shiny and garish. Most of my inspiration comes from central american traditions, handcrafts and naif art.
“As a queer man i don’t feel confortable with the traditional idea of masculinity that we are taught in El Salvador. When I think about it, I think about machismo, hierarchy, aggression. All things I don’t wanna be a part of. I feel that my craft has helped me to create a safe space for me where I can express all those things that I was supposed to keep for myself.
At the moment I'm working mostly on ceramics and illustration applied to murals, interior design and home decor. I run a small design studio/cultural space with my best friend and her dog called Deliro (IG @delirioestudio) where we get to be part of very diverse and multidisciplinary projects. We work with artists, designers, local entrepreneurs, international brands and non profits. The space is also open to showcase work from tattoo artists, chefs, musicians and mostly women and LGBTI artists/designers from our community. “
“I feel like a big part of being creative is having a big pool of ideas that you can mix and match in order to create new solutions.”
What inspired you to get into your discipline?
“I think I'm drawn to my discipline because I’ve always been the kind of person that likes to go at my own pace and do things on my own terms. Design allows me to do just that. It gives me tools to imagine something and make it real.”
What is your creative process and what are the most important things you keep in mind when beginning a new project? Are there any recurring themes/issues you like to address within your work?
“I’ve always been interested in the minor arts and everything not considered good enough for academia. Weaving, ceramics, folk art, pop music. All those aesthetics that are perceived as too colorful, too kitsch, too playful, too feminine. (Maybe it’s because as a “maricón” I can relate to the feeling of not being considered valuable enough for the dominant culture) So I try to incorporate all of it into my work. That way I get to reclaim all those little things: cultural traits, traditions, mannerisms, expressions that we were taught to suppress to fit in the white straight men’s idea of good taste and refinement.”
“My process is all over the place. It involves a lot of research, sketching and prototyping. I also try to keep a record of all of my obsessions, visual references and random stuff I like. I feel like a big part of being creative is having a big pool of ideas that you can mix and match in order to create new solutions.”
What do you enjoy most about your work?
“I enjoy that I get to work with people and projects that I actually care about. Having my own business has allowed me to surround myself with kind and talented people that are not only clients/collaborators but also my friends. And to be honest, it's kinda nice that I get to do cute shit for a living.”
What advice would you give to artists starting out or to those artists who are struggling with creative blocks?
“Stop what you're doing and have fun, sometimes it's just your brain telling you to take a break. Also don’t compare yourself to others, everybody has its own path. And to be honest, a lot of people that are successful in the art industry have rich parents so don’t beat yourself up if it’s taking you a little longer to make it.”
