Interview for Yaghout-Art

Interview in Persian for yaghout-art.ir, thanks to dear Meghdad Shirali, graphic designer from Iran, for inviting and interviewing me.

Here's the full interview in English  

Please tell us a summary about your work history?

I’ve graduated on Academy of Arts, Graphic design department, Novi Sad, Serbia and been working on different projects in culture and publishing since then. I love to read, and my friends are mostly poets and writers, so this field of design came spontaneously.

In what shape and form sketching has been appeared in your life?

I’ve been always sketching, in school, and after, when making ideas for work.

In your opinion what’s the difference between a sketcher and a designer?

Well, you can use sketching in design, like one step to get to the finished work. You just have to rethink your idea, bring it to life, not to leave it half made.

Does it have any difference?

Yes, of course. Sketching gives you so much freedom to try quickly what you want, and I do it mostly by hand, then transfer it to a computer.

Does your design inspiration comes from your personal experience of life?

Yes, from the people I meet, places I have visited, country that I live in, and all that shaped my personality.

If not so where they comes from?

Also I am inspired by the works of other artists, not only designers, but film directors, writers.

Who has had the most impression on your design?

I am not sure, it is certainly a group of people, my teachers at the beginning, who opened the new world for me, then people whose work I admire very much, and now my colleagues all around the world whose work I have the chance to see on internet and on international exhibitions.

What’s the philosophy of your life?

I have no plan, just go with the flow.

What’s the philosophy of your designing?

To work something you believe in, to work for the good cause, to help someone with what you do, to change a little bit you can.

What are your best personal achievements?

When I help people, friends, when I work for some idea with whole my heart, this is my best personal achievements, and I try to do it more. I used to think earlier more about career, about personal goals, but what really matters to me now is to be self aware, and to do your best to help others in a way you know best.

Do you have personal method? Basically, do you believe personal method in graphic design?

I don’t know, I think it is an individual thing. I like to see how artist develops, not to be stucked in some kind of mannerism, to experiment and to explore.

What is your feeling if a student imitates your personal method or designed based on your designs in graphic design?

Well, I think that Picasso said „Good artists copy, great artists steal“. And Jarmusch added „Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery - celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from - it’s where you take them to.“

What is your sight about loyalty to the indigenous culture and identity in graphic design?
I think that’s OK. But I also think that design is universal, and because so easy to understand globally, and it is a true magic when you can make something so understandable in your culture and in the world. To make something very personal and your own and also universal.

What do you know now which you wish you knew in the past?
How to deal with different clients, to appreciate my work more, but I’m still working on it.

What part of your work you hope to be discovered in the future?

I hope, humanity.

What topics attracts your intention more?

Socially engaged topics. Theatre and film.

What is the last work which draw your admiration?

I admire the work of Peter Bankov every day, he is such a prolific artist, it amazes me how he is always curious and there’s always freshness, excitement and unbearable lightness in what he does.

When you're working?

When I am freelancing, usually I work in the afternoon, or at night.

Who is your favorite Graphic designer?

For years it was Tadanori Yokoo, Japanese poster designer, he was such a revelation for me. I love the psychedelic design from the Sixties, and also Polish and Czech film posters. But now, it’s hard to tell. I actually now really admire people that try to bring together designers, on exhibitions, or websites like this one is. Designers from Iran, Behnam Raeesian and Hamid Nejati invited me to participate on some exhibitions that they organized, and really surprised me with such a live and emerging graphic design scene in Iran, on which I am very grateful.

What attracted you to the story further?

I guess now, it is an addiction

For those who want to work Graphic design What advice would you turn?

Work and believe in yourself and what you do, and make design for what you believe in.

Now what are you doing?

Answering your questions :) aaand working on some new book covers, stay tuned! :)