Yomar Augusto

Yomar Augusto is one hell of an inspiring guy blessed with an awesome skill set, and always pushing things to the next level. Recently Yomar moved from Rotterdam back to New York City, so before he left we had a quick chat about his life and future plans.

Hi Yomar, nice talking to you again. How’s life?

Life is great, thank you. A bit crazy since I moved from Holland to the U.S., trying to get my life back together, and keeping the level of energy high to be able to (re)establish my working and educational space in New York City. Super hard though, but super excited about the possibilities ahead.

Can you describe a typical day in the life of Yomar?

I’m a typography artist, freelancer graphic designer & teacher, so my days are never the same, there is no 9 to 6 life at all. Sometimes I have three meetings in a day, sometimes I stay at home, maybe a freelance gif for three weeks, sometimes I work from a library or a coffee place that I’ve never been before.

I really like this nomad creative life style. It makes things super real and super dynamic at same time, I need to adapt all the time to different circumstances. It’s fascinating actually, how important small things are.

You’re just back in NY, can you tell us something of your journey, from Brasil to NYC, from NYC to The Hague, Rotterdam and now back to NYC.

This is my second time living in NYC but this time I’m coming directly from Europe, giving me a totally different perspective of my life and work. It’s a totally different deal, because I’m independent in the city now and trying to establish my studio from zero.

I love to travel, and having the opportunity to explore different places and meet different people all the time, takes my creative life to a much more interesting path and direction. My time in The Netherlands was amazing. I loved being Dutch for 8 years, but now I’m settling down in NYC for good. I’m super excited about it.

You’ve lived a while in Rotterdam, what are your best memories of Rotterdam?

Rotterdam is a place that I took long time to like. Its a harsh place, especially in the winter, where the grayish of the city pops out but at same time there is a vibrant creative scene. There are so many amazing people working and living in the city, and it sure is a place that has given me many opportunities in my life. If I can point out only one thing, it was definitely my brief and amazing teaching experience at the Willem De Kooning Academy. I miss my Rotterdam friends a lot.

What makes Dutch Design so special?

Several factors. Its hard to point only one, but I will try any way. This is just my personal opinion, so I think the land it self is the answer, a big part of the country is bellow sea level, so everything has to be really well planned, built and constructed. Combining this “planning mentality” with the trading routes where mapping design, paying registration of the colonies, artist “photographing” the new colonies, and of course the printing history and tradition, you create a strong visual and conceptual society.

When did you find out you wanted to do something with art, type and design

Art runs deep in my family, so it was easy to see that it would become my path. My aunt is a fine artist, my mom is a fashion designer, my sister is an art book binder, my brother in law in an illustrator, my cousin is a master puppeteer in Czech Republic. Its crazy. 😉

Did your education have any influence on your development as a designer?

Absolutely, it was fantastic to be able to immerse into the education sector and extract great content from teachers and the schools’ labs and workshops. Being able to study abroad opens your mind, changes your core and makes you weaker and stronger.

Who are your role models and why?

Search, Search, Search, Search, Search, Search, Search, Search, Search, Search, Search, Search and search.

What project are you most proud of?

My work does not make me proud, but I’m super happy to be able to work with people I meet through my work. I’m proud of them, and the possibility to share this process with them. Most of the time the process is more interesting than the final result. If I have to point out a project that I was happy and humbled to be part of, it would be ‘UNITY’. I had the opportunity to be part of the team that developed and produced the final design of the WORLD CUP typeface.

How do you start a project? Do you go outside for a walk? Sketch?

I start my work process on my sketchbooks and researching through my library.

What music do you listen to while working?

I listen to podcasts about economics and history, but if I listen to music I listen to Rage Against the Machine. I like heavy stuff when I work.

What are your future plans?

I have no plans, I’m leaving day by day right now, working and hanging out with my friends. Walking through NYC and staying put. I’ve been traveling so much for the past 8 years, so I decided to stay put for while. I’m trying to set up my work and teaching space here in New York City, thats already huge endeavor for me. So happy to be here,

You’ve did a t-shirt design for us, can you tell us something about that?

RTM NYC