He works in 3D and 2D animation, both digital and analog, and his signature collage style combines references from youth and urban culture with a DIY aesthetic very close to generation Z.

His clients include The New York Times, BMW, TikTok and Gucci, among others, and the truth is that his unique style, humble and captivating personality and talent have made him a go-to creative with whom brands around the world want to collaborate.

At Forward Festival Berlin, Deveroe will share his tips and tricks for finding a unique style, and will also go through his own journey, highlighting his fears, vices and his particular way of working and approaching projects and life. Come in and read.

How do you see the design scene in your city?

I actively try not to be part of the scene. Not out of ill will, but because I am generally not a fan of echo chambers. Maybe it’s just me, or I missed something important, but for me, most conversations at scene events feel quite similar. I quickly lose interest. I had a more meaningful and, above all, more inspiring conversation with two construction workers at a bus station than at a trendy gallery opening.

I had a fairly rough upbringing, growing up in a somewhat chaotic household. There were guns at our house, hard drugs, and quite a few visits from the police. But my mom was cool; she encouraged me to spend a lot of my time drawing and making art. With my friends, I would draw comics and even try to sell them at one point. I’m still friends with those kids from back then.

I had the best time being a kid, even though it was not the best environment for kids to grow up in. To answer your question, let me put it like this: I grew up in such chaos that I find peace boring. Looking at my work now, it kinda makes sense!

You work in both 2D and 3D animation, and both digital and analogue, in which discipline do you feel most comfortable or which one do you enjoy the most?

Imagine a kid with all kinds of pencils, chalk, scissors, tape, watercolors, brushes, cameras, markers, and all kinds of tools laid out in front of him. That’s me.

I take all of it, throw it into a blender, add some spice, and then mix it all together. I’m not always sure what comes out of it. It’s the actual mixing of media, finding the piece while working, that really is of interest to me. You just have to stay in the flow.

I do prefer analog, as you get faster results, but everything comes together digitally.

“I do prefer analog, as you get faster results.”

At the end of the day, it’s about trusting your gut feeling, having your files and folder structures in order, and pushing forward. Keep the render times low and curiosity high. Don’t lose the flow. I can’t afford to lose the flow.

Likewise, your collage style mixes references from urban culture and youth with a very DIY aesthetic that is aimed at a generation Z. What has been the process to achieve such a distinctive, fresh style that communicates so well with a generation that is digital native?

I really love how freely and unbiasedly kids experience the world. And to some extent, I miss being a kid. That’s why I really try to protect my inner child, and I mean that. So, when I’m creating, I try to bring myself to a point where I don’t have to think. There are certain places you don’t want to walk through with your head. You want to walk through there with your heart.

“When I’m creating, I try to bring myself to a point where I don’t have to think.”

That being said, I was always good at listening to my gut feelings. I also learned to be very attentive and observant. As a young kid, I really had to rely on that. So basically, I go out there and watch. I then do some thinking, and when I get back to the studio, I simulate.

I try to recreate the feeling that people get when they’re online or on their phones. This girl has been doomscrolling for three hours straight; I wonder how she’s feeling right now? He has been on Tinder for a month now; What does that do to his self-esteem? Those are the interesting questions to ask.

What are your main sources of inspiration and references?

Honestly, often times I’m not really interested in another people’s work. I don’t watch that much. I do enjoy and watch films, but I’m not too interested in the rest.

Of course, there are some artists where I was like, “Oh, I wish I would’ve come up with this!”. Artists like David Lynch, the early Francis Bacon, Alberto Mielgo, or The Alchemist, for instance.

But if anything, I guess I naturally show interest toward everything new: new places, new faces.

What role does AI play in your work? and what do you think about it?

I do use AI, more like a personal assistant, helping me with textures, research and technical questions for certain software.

Personally, I’m a fan and I’m excited for what’s to come. The way I understand it is: AI works mostly through making predictions. If you’ve scanned 2 million Manet paintings, I figure it’s fairly easy to recreate one, right? So, when it comes to my work, I try to stay unpredictable.

Despite being familiar with digital technology, the Internet and social networks from a very early age, generation Z is also a victim of this context and these tools that keep us hyper-connected and hyper-informed. How do you experience it and how do you think it can be managed to improve our mental health?

A fairly unsexy answer, but to me, personally, I think we should get young people off social media entirely.

“I think we should get young people off social media entirely.”

Like, no social media until you’re 18 years of age. This might sound harsh but bear in mind that we will have to wait another 10-15 years to really understand the negative implications social media brings, especially to the young ones. It hurts most people, particularly the young. Let kids be kids.

It’s pretty obvious by now. There is no improvement in your mental health while staring at a phone. The best way to take care of your mental well-being is to put your phone down, simple as that.

As for me, I’m trying to get my screen time down to 1:30 hours a day. It used to be above 3 hours a day, which really got me thinking. That adds up to about 3 and a half days in a month! That’s a lot of time. Right now, I’m at a little under 2 hours.

“I’m trying to get my screen time down to 1:30 hours a day.”

For artists, it’s even worse. Because as an artist, your attention is one of your biggest assets. Instead of wasting it on social media or the depths of all-consuming hyperinformation, protect it, nurture it.

Among your clients are The New York Times, BMW, TikTok, RIN, ARTE or Gucci. What has it meant to you to work with such powerful clients? And does the work process with this type of brands differ much compared to smaller clients?

It doesn’t mean much to me, honestly, but it does show that my work is being appreciated. So, that’s a nice little thing. It also shows that there’s a need for my type of work.

I really try to give 100% no matter the client, but often times, that still does not lead to great results. No matter the client: if they trust you, you’re good. If they don’t, then you might find yourself in a hellhole of eternal feedback loops and suffering. Hell or heaven, it really needs a trustful client to get you going.

“Hell or heaven, it really needs a trustful client to get you going.”

What can you tell us about your conference at the Forward Festival?

I will try to show how it’s a great thing to be weird and how I was able to turn adversity into creativity.

How do you see the future?

I try not to think too much about tomorrow. Given the way I was brought up, I’ve already won.

So there’s not really much to freak out about. The world has not gotten worse; it’s actually getting better. It’s just that new media has changed the way we view the world.

A dream (professional goal)

I’d like to do cartoons at some point and have my own kids’ channel. Something for the kids. I want those kids to feel the same delight I felt when, as a kid. I spent my Saturday mornings in front of the TV watching cartoons with a huge bowl of cereal in front of me.

(*) Photos and artwork provided by Deveroe.

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