Haunting holidays

MANILA, Philippines - Twenty-three-year-old artist Vaughn Pinpin was initially hesitant to design YStyle’s logo for December. “My style is more Halloween and less Christmas,” he told us. “Unless of course you guys are planning an A Nightmare Before Christmas thing!” Fortunately for him, that was exactly what we had in mind. Here, he talks to us about his creative process and how he created our Tim Burton-esque logo for this month.

YSTYLE: How would you describe your aesthetic?

VAUGHN PINPIN: It’s mostly finding something curious from mundane things and manipulating texture, light and shadows, and color for severe contrasts. There’s also a touch of sarcasm and sometimes humor, depending on what I try to do. But sometimes I do undergo a creative or aesthetic bipolarism, in the sense that I do also enjoy art that is the equivalent of candy. So I sometimes draw with a more whimsical perspective and use more exuberant color choices.

What types of projects are you working on?

I mostly do illustration work. Some of it is personal work. But it’s mostly work that allows me to experiment with and develop my aesthetics.

Do you have an online portfolio or website of your works that people can check out?

I have been posting most of my work on my Tumblr (hatboy.tumblr.com). An actual portfolio site is on my list, but for the mean time I’ve started uploading on Behance to connect with other artists and potential clients. I’ve also been posting tiny doodles in my Instagram and Twitter (@vaughnpinpin).

When you hear “YStyle,” what kind of images or ideas does your mind conjure up?

Youth culture.

What was your concept for the new YStyle logo?

It’s December once again, so I thought I’d do something appropriate for the holiday season. But my aesthetic can be too cynical and sarcastic about traditions, so the result is a compromise between me as an artist and as a designer. The concept is about festive celebrations. It’s an attempt at re-imagining the holidays.

Were you listening to music while you were designing it? What song? On purpose or on shuffle?

I was listening to music. It was Granville, but I can’t say that the songs inspired the piece. Instead, it was probably influenced by M83 and Foster The People.

What inspires your art?

It’s been difficult to pinpoint where inspiration may come from to the point that I stopped trying to figure this out. But right now, I’m inspired by finding darkness and eeriness that can be made present in the mundane. Like staring at everyday things while being in a Twilight Zone mindset.

What inspires your personal fashion sense?

I try only to wear what’s comfortable, literally and figuratively. I don’t try to emulate looks; I just try to be myself.

The year’s almost over. How did you spend it? 

Working and studying. But mostly the effort has been leaning towards self-improvement, whether art-wise or who I am as a person. It’s been mostly about creating and keeping the passion for art alive.

What upcoming projects do you have?

I plan on continuing some of my art projects that I began on my blog. But as the year comes to an end, a lot of my plans for projects are still tentative so I cannot confirm anything. But in any case, I plan to experiment with my work and I guess that’s sort of a personal project.

What do you want to do after you graduate?

Well, first, I will breathe a deep sigh of relief. (Laughs) And then I plan to work and further my artistic career and/or possibly get a second art degree abroad. Whichever seems more feasible and realistically beneficial. I like creating and learning, so I’m hoping that the future holds much of that for me. ­