Collaborative studio Pianofuzz kicks butt when it comes to design.
Working across both the virtual and digital spheres, the team shares the principle of working together and the desire to fully immerse themselves in projects.
This ‘deep’ studio, existential in values and exploratory in its work, covers a broad mix across illustration and branding.
With clients ranging from MTV BR to Crail, this innovative collective produce clean, concept driven work with a vintage twist. Contained palettes and page-popping graphics dominate this studio’s work, whether it’s for poster or purse.
We had a chinwag with one of the team to get to know what they’re all about:
Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
My name is Maikon Nery; I am a graphic designer and part of Pianofuzz team. When talking about the studio, we deny ourselves as an individual and assume the collective identity. It is an interesting exercise to priorise the collective over the individual, because somehow, it helps you to feel free to work on different aesthetic and concepts.
Can you tell me a bit about Pianofuzz and how it started?
By the time we started the studio project, six years ago, the idea was to build a place where the studio, the collective production, experimentation and constant evolution are respected. These concepts are essential to our work as a studio.
One important thing to say is that we are a small studio, and this is a conscious choice, because in this way, we can keep very close to our discourse and our practice.
If you had a blank wall, what would you paint?
Recently I saw a picture with the following sentence sprayed in graffiti on a wall: “Fuck May 68. Fight now!”. I found it interesting; I’d paint it. The sentence refers to the uprisings in France on May 1968.
How do you find branding and illustration differ?
They are opposite in purpose, and therefore in their development too. Branding projects build brands, add values and attributes. But depending on the case, illustration projects may also assist in creating the universe of a brand, helping the project to develop as a system.
What have been your favourite commissions so far?
It is difficult to pin-point a specific project, I’d say that where the client respects our way of working; giving time, freedom and budget according to the difficulty of the project, enters work into the hall of favorites. In short, projects relating to cultural segments, design, fashion and art.
If you could only use one colour, which would you pick?
I’d choose black as the synthesis of all.
You can see more work by this studio here: www.cargocollective.com/pianofuzz.