Young Guns 17: Simón Sepúlveda Braithwaite

By Brett McKenzie on Nov 04, 2019

Shining a light on the amazing class of Young Guns 17

What happens when you take a jury of 60+ respected creatives, more than 500 entries from all over the globe, and mix them all together for two months of serious consideration, debate and decision-making? Eventually you get the winners of Young Guns 17! This year, The One Club for Creativity is honoring a creatively diverse class of 28 winners, including animators, designers, photographers, illustrators, film directors and editors, all of whom came out of this process as true champions of their craft.

Ahead of the Young Guns 17 Ceremony + Party taking place on November 20, we are featuring the various superstars who will be taking the stage that evening.

Simón Sepúlveda Braithwaite
Designer/Artist

Based:

Barcelona, Spain

Hometown:

Santiago, Chile

SEE SIMÓN'S ENTRY

First of all, congratulations! Now how did you first discover Young Guns?

I first heard about Young Guns about five years ago. The names of all of the great artists and designers who had won the award really got my attention, and the next year I tried my hand at entering. After not getting in, I spent the last four years improving my portfolio to a point where I thought it was good enough to try again.

Which of the projects that you entered is your personal favorite and why?

I really like the Frustration Series because it was an opportunity to experiment with textiles, which was a new medium for me. At the same time, I had the pleasure of working with some nice and talented people from both New York and Chile.

What was it like to discover that you won YG17?

I felt super happy, and kept on working.

How would you describe your creative style?

I try to do work that is driven by ideas rather than technique. I try to approach each project differently than the previous one.

What is your favorite tool when it comes to making what you do, something you’d feel naked without?

My favorite tools are a good pencil, my notebook, my books, and the internet.

What do you do when you hit a creative wall, when you are stuck for ideas and solutions?

I try to read, because the more information and knowledge you have on a subject, the more variables you understand, and that inevitably generates new paths to follow.

Who are some of the biggest influences on your work and career?

Kerry James Marshall, Michel Houellebecq, Paul Thomas Anderson, Alfredo Jaar, and many, many others. As for people who I have known personally, there's Piedad Rivadeneira, Stefan Sagmeister (YG1), Javier Jaén and MilM2.

Now that you’re in the Young Guns family, are there any past winners that you look up to and admire?

A lot! Braulio Amado (YG13), Tyler Comrie (YG16), Mau Morgó (YG16), Santiago Carrasquilla (YG14), Verònica Fuerte (YG7), Pablo Delcan (YG14) and more.

Name a creative dream that you have yet to fulfill.

I would like to do a solo show in New York, and develop visual identities for cultural institutions like MomaPS1. I would love to do graphics for bands, branding for restaurants and art institutions, posters for venues, direct videoclips, and do collaborations with brands.

Any final thoughts for the Young Guns community?

Muchas gracias!

This document has been edited with the free version of the instant HTML edior. Try it here and use it every time for your projects.

WORDS FROM THE JURY

“Multidisciplinary artist and designer Simón Sepúlveda Braithwaite’s work clears space for atypical design solutions and tactile materials. From multi-lingual illustrative tapestries weaving narratives of migrant journeys to inspiring, unexpected typographic solutions for posters and branding, we were struck by this intentional, playful and mindful maker. Timely and urgent, his work blurs art and design disciplines to prove a great concept, flawless execution, and strong meaning drive good work. A Young Gun winner’s work should be entrenched in and critique modern culture, politics and the industry. Simón’s work does just that.”