Julian Guzman: Redefining Perceptions with 3D Art

Julian Guzman, a highly skilled and innovative Colombian designer and 3D artist, has made significant contributions to a wide range of projects in the realms of art direction, design, illustration, communication, and editorial content.

Throughout his remarkable career, Julian's diverse trajectory has immersed him in cultural environments, allowing him to evolve his expertise and meet the various needs of different brands. This invaluable experience has enabled him to develop multiple visual languages that resonates effectively with specific clients and captivate young audiences alike.

As a visionary 3D artist, Julian's artistic endeavors transcend conventional boundaries, delving into the exploration of human perceptions. His works artfully employ complex and intricate shapes in mesmerizing virtual reality landscapes, coupled with futuristic textures and vibrant colors. Through these innovative and immersive experiences, Julian creates compelling visual dialogues that revolve around profound themes such as emotions, music, and technology.

Inspired by a wide range of influences, including abstract and conceptual art, Julian's creations often embody a minimalist aesthetic, characterized by understated elegance and a sense of order. However, amidst this disciplined approach, he is unafraid to embrace chaos, allowing himself to be guided by intriguing and unconventional shapes, resulting in captivating compositions that push the boundaries of visual storytelling.

Join our exclusive interview with Julian Guzman x RED EYE:

Can you tell us about your experience in art direction, design, illustration, communication, and editorial content? How have these different fields influenced your work as a designer?

Over the past decade, my journey as a graphic designer has shaped me into a versatile, creative professional. My experience working in marketing and communication agencies for various companies and on branding projects for independent businesses has given me a deep understanding of their specific needs and how to adapt design strategies to meet those requirements. My time at Vice magazine was a crucial point in my development, moving away from the rigid brand books of commercial brands and allowing me to connect more deeply with current culture and trends. During my tenure at Vice, editorial illustration was a field that allowed me to explore further the synthesis of images applied to reports and journalistic texts, greatly enriching my creative approach.

This path of visual exploration led me to the world of 3D art, where I self-taught and discovered a fascination for the vast possibilities this universe offers. Combining all these learnings and experiences in personal and commissioned projects has been fundamental in developing what I now consider my creative voice.

How do you approach developing visual languages that speak to a specific client and young audiences? Can you provide an example of a project where you successfully achieved this?

For me, it's crucial to choose projects that resonate with my interests and passions; it's a way to transform working for money into having fun for money. A clear example of this is my connection with electronic music, which has profoundly influenced my creative process. Working for artists, DJs, producers, and music promoters has always been rewarding. These projects have allowed me to combine my identity as a designer and artist, creating a visual amalgamation that represents me and effectively connects with the specific audience of that musical niche.

Your work as a 3D artist explores human perceptions through complex shapes, futuristic textures, and vivid colors. Can you explain the thought process behind this approach and how it contributes to the visual dialogues you create?

Working in 3D has opened the doors to creating abstract sculptures, where playing with color, texture, and light as a series of visual accidents reflects my emotions and thoughts. Materiality in my work is crucial, as I seek a direct connection with the “real.” I focus on achieving realism in textures to spark discussions about whether they are real objects. Honestly, I don't make profound statements about my art; instead, I let the combination of all these characteristics speak for itself, finding beauty in the unexpected and allowing each piece to be a unique and spontaneous exploration.

In that sense, I'd like to briefly reverse the roles: What sensations or thoughts does my art evoke in you? I am always interested in how my work resonates with others.

What are your main influences from abstract and conceptual art? How do you balance minimalistworks with exploring chaos in your designs?

My inspiration comes from artists across different disciplines, including the visual universeof musicians likeARCA, Björk, Aphex Twin, and other figures in alternative music genres. The research of Neri Oxman andLucy McRae fascinates me, and I'm intrigued by their vision of the future. Additionally, the work of JonathanCastro and the experimentation with light and color by Olafur Eliasson and Carlos Cruz-Diez have all subtlyinfluenced my creations.Being part of the Hyperfuturism collective, I'm surrounded by artists with unique styles who envision thefuture of digital art authentically and personally, which has also been a significant influence.In my designs, I always strive to balance minimalism and chaos. I maintain the correct weight in composition,allowing the sculpture to breathe in a minimalist and clean space, which visually adds a poetic touch. Thecomplexity of the forms, combined with fractured details, is balanced with the harmony of color andcomposition. Even in seemingly monochromatic works, color is an essential element, where I use metal as atexture, and slight color detailsin reflections come to life.

Can you describe a project where you had to adapt your design style to fit a specific brand's needs?How did you approach the challenge, and what was the outcome?

Last year, I faced an exciting challenge with the poster fora party in Glasgow organized by a collective namedArt Class. Their initial concept was very figurative, wanting a 3D illustrated representation of the guest artist.Since figurative illustration is not my forte, I opted to capture the essence of EMA, theinvited DJ, in adistorted image that reflected her energy and movement on stage. This abstraction allowed me to convey theessence of her music and the event. Though predominantly abstract, this project demonstrated how my stylecan adapt and maintain itsunique and chaotic essence.

How do you stay updated with the latest trends and techniques in design and 3D art? Can you giveexamples of how you have incorporated new trends into your work?

My process for staying updated in these two disciplines is meticulous and always driven by curiosity. Iconstantly search for visual inspiration, exploring artists, galleries, talks, interviews, and tutorials. I enjoyexperimenting with various tools that complement my work. For example, I alternate between C4D, Zbrush,Marvelous, and VR modeling. VR modeling, in particular, has been a revelation; it's a highly interactive andfun process that immerses me more deeply in the act of creating.

Collaboration is often an essential aspect of design projects. Can you share an example of acollaborative project, and how you contributed your unique skills and expertise to the team?

Collaborating on design and art projects is constantly enriching, particularly for learning from diverseperspectives. Although my collaborations this year were mostly limited to clients, last year, I had the chance toparticipate in a significant project with Sveta Maximova, a photographer based in Russia. The concept of theproject, called “GERM,” explored the relationship between humans and microorganisms in a dystopian andecological context.My role involved working alongside Sveta and a multidisciplinary team, including makeup artists, artdirectors, lighting technicians, audiovisual producers, costume designers, and digital artists. They all providedvaluable insights that enabled me to recreate the set environment accurately and add my 3D shapes. Thisexperience was an excellent opportunity to merge my artistic vision with photography and the key elementsprovided by other participants, resulting in a deeply symbiotic and expressive work.

How do you manage your time and prioritize tasks when working on multiple projects simultaneously?What strategies do you use to ensure deadlines are met?

This past year has been particularly intense, with projects challenging me to balance creativity and projectmanagement efficiently. I've adopted tools like Notion to organize my projects, finances, and time. This allowsme to focus on what's most important: creating. This approach ensures that I meet deadlines and give eachproject the attention it deserves, maintaining the quality and passion of my work.

Can you reflect on a design project where you faced creative blocks or challenges? How did youovercome these obstacles and ultimately deliver a successful outcome?

I won't speak about a specific project, but rather a recurring challenge I've faced: the 'trust' relationshipbetween client and designer, especially in the advertising field where trust is a fragile concept. It often startswith 'we trust your creative vision’, but this can fade away during the project's development. This fragility hasbeen asource of creative blocks, unwanted outcomes, and exhaustion, even leading me to doubt myself sometimes. However, by working more independently and strengthening my identity as an artist, I've noticedgreater appreciation and reliance in my work, valuing me beyond being a collaborator. This new dynamic hasgranted me greater creative freedom and enjoyment in the process, resulting in better project outcomes.

What is your long-term vision as a designer? How do you see yourself growing and evolving in the future?

Looking towards the future, my goal is to continue developing and refining my artistic style, furtherconsolidating the relationship between art and design, which is my true passion. I'm excited about exploringnew fields with 3D art, such as fashion, photography, installations, and sculpture, venturing into unexploreduniverses. Currently, my work is primarily showcased on my website and social media. Still, I aspire to take itto new spaces, participate in exhibitions, and see how my creations cancommunicate in larger formats andbeyond the digital screen.

Interview by @mirawanderlust

Images courtesy of @juliang.xyz

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