Presenting the kick ass class of Young Guns 22
It’s a kick-ass class. Young Guns 22 is topping the charts in creativity. But are you even surprised? Of course, not. If you’re new here, let me catch you up. Young Guns is a community of incredibly talented individuals – think amazing cinematographers, animators, illustrators, photographers, designers, and directors – and a new class of winners is chosen by an expert jury every year. This year we have 33 winners and among them, we have some very new, very exciting titles to unveil – an Architectural Designer, Composer, Stage & Show Designer, and Colorist.
We interviewed the winners so we could share their prowess with you. And if you’re a NYC local you can snag a ticket to the official YG22 Party at Sony Hall on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, where you will have the chance to meet and greet them.
Young Guns continue to dominate the creative industry, so we’re happily presenting you with the kick-ass class of Young Guns 22.
Carlos Bocai
Graphic Designer, Base
Based:
Brooklyn, NY
Hometown:
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
What were your original impressions of the Young Guns competition, award, and community?
When I started my career in NYC, my friends and coworkers used to mention Young Guns as some kind of a major career achievement. The variety of creative disciplines Young Guns recognizes makes it exciting (and challenging) and different from most graphic design awards out there. Over the years, I’ve seen many colleagues and friends I admire selected as finalists or winners. I’ve followed their journeys, attended the party, and celebrated them, wondering if one day I would be on that stage. This encouraged me to apply.
How did you end up in the creative field anyways?
My parents say that whenever they asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up I would answer: I want to work on the computer. Since middle school, I’ve always been drawn to visual mediums — my favorite thing was creating PowerPoint presentations. Then I started to learn more about different professions and what working on the computer could mean. As I discovered design, I constantly explored softwares and watched tutorials, craving more knowledge about that world. It felt like it was the right path for me. I studied Visual Communications at PUC-Rio, where I discovered the world of branding and translating abstract concepts into visuals. This led me to NYC after graduation, looking for opportunities to work with the people I looked up to at the time. Throughout my career, I have worked at many studios, but always with a primary focus on design and branding. I’m grateful to have known what I wanted to do since the beginning. TLDR: Started on PowerPoint now we’re here. "
Congrats on the YG win! Why did you decide to enter this year?
This was my third try. I’m turning 30 next year, so time is running out. Being a Colorful finalist was also a big encouragement. As a visa holder, there’s constant pressure to have awards and achievements since they’re necessary for applications. But deep down, Young Guns is a title I’ve looked up to since the beginning. Every year, my work gets more mature, and I’m fortunate to have worked at studios on projects I’m proud of. With every submission, I’d update a project or two and sometimes give older ones a fresher case study. Compared to last year when I was a finalist, the new addition is the book I Can See You Happy by the incredible photographer Wendy Andrade, designed with Julia B Aguiar and Lucas D’Ascenção (YG22 finalist). I can’t wait to see it in the world soon! "
You only get to submit six projects that embody you and your talent. So, how did you decide which pieces were good enough to make the cut?
I consider myself a generalist designer, adapting to different project needs without a particular style. Young Guns can be challenging for generalist designers who mainly work on commercial branding projects since it recognizes talents from a wide range of disciplines, some of them with very individual and unique skills. I wanted to showcase a more personal and experimental side within commercial work, so I selected projects that reflect my identity as a designer. My identity is not defined by a specific look and feel or output, but by a concept-driven approach, a way of thinking, and topics I believe deserve visibility.
What was your reaction when you discovered that you won?
I was at the gym when I saw the email. I stopped everything I was doing and messaged my friend Gabriela Namie who has been supporting me during this whole journey. Later I celebrated with an extra-dirty martini.
How does your current home inspire your creativity as an artist?
Even after six years I do my best to never take living in New York for granted. It’s such a privilege to be in a multicultural city like this with access to so much — new people, art, parties, food, fashion, streets — it all becomes part of your repertoire. There’s always someone new arriving and something new happening and I believe inspiration can come from anywhere. This sense of novelty keeps me inspired and refreshed. I’ve also had mentors in this city who gave me opportunities to evolve, such as Jessica Walsh during my time at Sagmeister & Walsh, Paulina Reyes and Lisa Smith at JKR, and currently Min Lew and Thierry Brunfaut at Base.
“It’s such a privilege to be in a multicultural city like this with access to so much — new people, art, parties, food, fashion, streets — it all becomes part of your repertoire.”
When you leave home for a different country your friends become your family. I’m lucky to be a part of a great local Brazilian design community — Leo Porto, Felipe Rocha, and Gabriela Namie, to name a few. Seeing their success inspires me to grow.
Now that you’re a part of the Young Guns community, are there any past winners you look up to and admire?
That’s a crazy hard question for a Libra — there’re so many! In the past I’ve had the chance to work with Jessica Walsh (YG8), Paulina Reyes (YG5), Danae Gosset (YG19), Leo Porto (YG17), Gabriela Namie (YG19) and LeBassis (YG18), who are people I truly respect.
Braulio Amado’s (YG13) work is one of the most distinct, genuine and impactful I’ve seen. It’s clear how he draws inspiration from his own experiences and repertoire which makes the work so powerful.
I’m also a big fan of the bold and fresh editorial work that Claudia Rubin (YG19), Ben Grandgenett (YG15), Tracy Ma (YG11), and Kurt Woerpel (YG20) have been doing. I think there’s a side of me that wants to leave everything and be an editorial designer.
Designers like Talia Cotton (YG20) and Khyati Trehan (YG19) who explore technology in ways I could never continue to leave me in awe.
A few other people who I admire too (sorry, my rising is also Libra): Nejc Prah (YG14), Hassan Rahim (YG14), Eric Hu (YG8), Mah Ferraz (YG17), and The Daniels (YG14)... I’m sure I’m forgetting others though.
If you could create a new Young Guns tradition, what would you want it to be and why?
There are so many talented people with very different skills every year that it could be cool to randomly pair Young Guns winners to create a collaborative project. Imagine a typographer being paired with a film director to make something together.
Name a dream project that you have yet to fulfill — maybe Young Guns will propel you in that direction!
I’ve spent most of my life projecting and planning my dreams with a sense of urgency. I’ve needed achievements, success, and awards because my stay in this country depends on it due to merit-based visa renewals. A bit of personal news: my green card was just approved (!!!), which means I won’t have to go through the visa approval process again. So, for the first time, I’m actually allowing myself to live in the moment without thinking too much about the future. In parallel to working at design studios, I’ve been teaching an online course about visual identities with Julia B. Aguiar on Aprender Design for the past four years. The course was originally in Portuguese for Brazilians, but we recently adapted it to English, and I really enjoy it. It’s so rewarding to interact with students, watch their growth, and realize the impact my words have on them. Recently, I taught IRL for the first time as a weekend guest at MICA, which was a great experience. So in the near future I’d love to expand my involvement in education, maybe as a teacher at a NYC institution? I see teaching as a way to give back to the community and use the opportunities I’ve had in my career to contribute to others.
Will we see you at the YG22 party in NYC in November?
For sure! I never say no to a party.
Come party with us and celebrate the class of Young Guns 22 on Wednesday, November 13, 6:30 PM, at Sony Hall in NYC!
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