Luis Antonio Rivera Rodríguez, a Mexican creative force, captivates the world with his unique poster designs. His work pushes boundaries and inspires change, making every piece a story worth exploring. Let’s dive into his mind—start the interview!
1. Can you introduce yourself and share what drives you as a Mexican poster designer?
Hello, I am a graphic designer graduated from the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla. I have a master’s degree in marketing. At the moment, I am dedicated to teaching at the university level. I dedicate myself to illustration, calligraphy, and poster design. I am motivated by being able to express myself, and for me, posters are an outlet to raise my voice on some topics that interest me, so that people can also see and understand those ideas, and so that the message we want to convey works for them.
2. How do you distill complex emotions or ideas into a single, striking poster design?
Well, one of my processes is research. First of all, I have to write down my ideas. I don’t move on to designing without first having the idea in writing. If I consider that what I’ve written is already understandable, I proceed with the other steps to create a poster.
3. What role does your Mexican identity play in shaping your visual storytelling?
Well, I try to make all my posters have something personal, some detail that makes them stand out, and in some cases, people will see that they are my own. Although I know that the messages we have to convey with the poster have to be mostly universal, I consider that there are some topics that are more complicated than others, and we have to have some context for the message we want to convey.
4. How do you decide which global issues deserve your focus in a new design?
I try—but I can’t always—to make time to talk about all the topics that come up. There are also topics that interest me in social matters. I often try to read some news in the newspapers and then make a poster about it.
5. What’s the boldest design risk you’ve taken recently, and what inspired it?
One of my last posters was made for a community called Mezcala, where the message I wanted to give was that the people had to defend themselves. For this, I was inspired by the social movements that have happened in Mexico over the years, since it is where the people are always the ones who stand up and raise their voices despite the oppression.
6. How do you blend traditional Mexican art elements with modern graphic trends?
Mexican design in its beginnings was closely linked to art such as painting, engraving, etc. As for us, it is a part that enters into the history of design in Mexico; many of us are influenced by these techniques. In my case, I really like engraving and the lines that are generated, so I try to use those types of lines in my posters. Although something that also plays an important role for me is color, I always try to integrate some type of color that is related to Mexico.
7. What’s the one design principle you always return to, no matter the project?
The principle of composition. First of all, I have to be clear about how I am going to place the elements within the poster.
8. How do you adapt your style to connect with diverse international audiences?
I always try to make the image as clear as possible, but I also reinforce the concept with a message or a phrase. Although I believe there are some topics that are much more complicated, I need to try to provide context with the written text so the audience can understand them.
9. What’s the most unexpected source of inspiration you’ve found for a poster?
I’ve always liked animated films, and for me, it’s always been an outlet to sit down and watch a movie or series. But I remember that while watching an animated film, someone said a phrase, and that’s when I related it to a poster I had pending. What I did was stop, write the idea, and then continue watching the movie.
10. What new technique or theme are you itching to explore in your next work?
Well, many topics are appearing. I think our environment provides many posters. Technically, I would like to try making posters with elements that I have in my environment—be it a rock, a piece of paper, a soda can, etc. I think that is one of the things I would like to experiment with.
