MANILA, Philippines - It’s the beginning of the sunny, funny month of May and you know what that means: new logo time.
This month’s edition of the YStyle logo is courtesy of graphic artist Dan Matutina, whose work narrative references local folklore and emblems of Philippine culture. His pieces’ provenance, firmly rooted in the realms of fantasy and tales from childhood, provokes reactions that are equal parts nostalgia and delight.
Matutina, who majored in visual communications at UP and currently helms a design studio with friends, channeled his favorite memories of May, which include “playing Patintero — or what we call ‘Get-In’ in the province — with childhood friends,” he says. “I also enjoyed participating in the Flores De Mayo parada. Free food! Yey!”
His version of the YStyle logo is proof that Matutina’s aesthetic — “a mix of handmade and digital, clean and dirty, old and modern” — is a dialogue on new design and its homage to all that’s past.
“My original intention was to use purely abstract elements — the sunrays/banderitas combo seemed to go well together when I was doing the sketch. Eventually, I thought of adding more represen-tational elements: the sea, trees, a person on a hot air balloon. May is good weather, spending time outdoors and the beach!” Matutina explains.
“Apart from including summer elements into the logo,” he says, “I also incorporated banderitas elements. The Pahiyas, Flores de Mayo and other festivals happen in May as well. The radiating elements inside the logo represent the sun, the symbol of summer.”
Matutina is currently working on a personal book and a functional scarf project with a friend.
View his work on http://twistedfork.me or his blog http://twistedfork.tumblr.com.