Typism Book 8 Feature—Diego Carneiro

Diego Carneiro is a graphic designer and visual artist based in Brazil, creating lettering, calligraphy and painting projects. 

After working for many years in design agencies, he decided to open a studio to focus on quality handmade creations. This has led to exciting collaborations with brands and large or small businesses all over the globe.

He aims to help people and businesses of all sizes connect with their audience memorably through mural art, packaging, logo or visual identity. Last and (maybe) not least, he has been in Creative Market for ten years and has been awarded the Brasil Design Award, Latin America Design Award and recently the Communication Arts Award of Excellence.

We asked Diego to tell us the story behind the artwork he submitted for Typism Book 8.

How did you start as a lettering artist or designer?

Since I was a child, I loved to draw; I was always very observant and liked to copy the figures and letters I saw in books and magazines; as a teenager, I liked to practice hyperrealistic drawings. Then, my desire to enter a career where I could apply this artistic vocation took me to the Graphic Design course, where I had the privilege of having Master Jackson Alves as a teacher and finally diving deeply into the universe of letters.

When I met Jackson and saw what he was doing, I discovered that I could apply lettering as an artistic communication tool in design. It was love at first sight.

Tell us the story of the work.

Santa Bárbara do Tugúrio is the name of a very small town in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, where my grandfather—who owned this saw—was born in 1929. He gave me this saw a few days before he passed away. This artwork was created as my personal tribute.

My grandfather was a very simple man, he used to have a lot of tools because he always made small repairs for the neighbourhood to have extra money, from fixing appliances to woodworking.

All this inspired me during the process: his simplicity, tools, humility, and charity. He was also a very religious man, so the baroque style inspired me for the lettering, which is very present in the architecture of the churches of Minas Gerais. I used black and gold oil-based paints and gold leaf as a material, and to submit it for the Typism Book, I changed the colours in the photograph to black and white.

I feel extremely happy to have a work selected and printed in the Typism Book; it is very important to me and the memory of my grandfather and this work, and to be able to share it with more people and artists around the world is a recognition that the effort worth it.

What is some advice you would give to people who want to submit their work for the next Typism book?

During the year, we do a lot of good work that sometimes just gets lost and forgotten in the algorithms of social networks; keep that in mind and already spend the year selecting your best projects to send to the Typism Book, don't be afraid and most importantly, stay tuned so you don't miss the dates.

Thank you, Diego, for sharing your personal story and allowing us to include this work in Typism Book 8. As Diego says, keep an eye out for those dates. The call out for Book 9 will be mid-2023.

You can see more of Diego's work on his website.