Romanet Silva by Camila Cardeñosa
After getting to know Roma’s story in more detail, I believe that the key to her success is curiosity. Roma is a talented, multi-disciplinary graphic designer, specialising in editorial design and branding, who lives and works in Lima, Perú.
Roma has always been interested in music and its graphic aesthetics, the history of Perú, and different feminist movements that have emerged since the 70s. While we were chatting, she showed me several graphic pieces that she has collected over the years, that are part of her graphic material archive which she often refers to for inspiration.
Our talked primarily about the two subjects Roma is most passionate about—design and feminism. Roma told me about her strong feminist political position, which she tries to show through her work. Since she decided to become a graphic designer, she’s felt that being a woman in the field of design is not easy. Roma strongly believes based on her experience, that there is the misconception that men’s ideas are more powerful in comparison to a women’s. Therefore, the research stage of each project is really important to her: “I like to investigate a lot. I strive to create strong and powerful concepts so that the macho point of view does not knock it down.” We discussed a brand identity Roma designed for one of the first menstrual cups that were sold in Perú. She purposely avoided coming up with the typical concepts and aesthetics that can be classed as feminine products. She developed a concept that aims to help to make all women feel empowered, as she tells us, “… for the main graphic element I used illustrations of shamanic women, strong leaders of Peruvian indigenous history, which invited all women to connect with the power of the their bodies.”
Talking to Roma was inspiring and gaining an in depth understanding of her conceptual thinking and the projects she works on, was very enriching. Her feminist vision of design is contagious. The phrase on which our chat finished: “Our feminist fight is an inheritance that comes from our past. Our task is to continue to open doors to female designers who are currently studying and who will join us soon. We are all in the same team!”
I caught up with Roma to find out more, her design journey so far, interest in fanzines and publications that reflect Perú’s history and why she describes herself as a feminist designer.
When did you realise that you were interested in design and wanted to work as a designer?
My mom collected music tape cassettes and every weekend we used to go to a flea market to buy new ones. I guess that little habit for collecting something stuck with me, so I decided to collect records. As I was very young, my knowledge about music was lacking, so I was attracted by the graphics of the covers. That’s when I realized that I wanted to design the covers for the bands that I liked. I did not know what graphic design was, but I understood that there was an intention to give a direct and powerful message through the graphics. Today I understand that it is quite a complex job to be able to give a message of something as abstract as music and synthesize it into a single image.
Tell me about your career so far. What were your steps to get where you are?
I studied at three design schools. I am from Arequipa in Peru, which is where I started studying at the design school of the city. I studied there for a year.
After researching more about design in Latin America, I decided to move to Rosario in Argentina to continue my design education. I lived and studied in Rosario for almost 3 years. Unfortunately, I didn’t finish my studies because I had to come back to Perú due to an economic recession and completed my graphic design education in Lima, at the Centro de la Imagen.
These three schools nurtured me in different ways. In Arequipa I learned about the craft because I was taught by teachers who used to design without any digital tool. In Rosario, I learned about concepts, about critical thinking. In Lima I learned about art direction.
After I finished my studies, I started an internship at Mago, an important studio in Lima, where Goster, an important Peruvian visual artist, worked as the art director. During that time, I learned a lot working from him. Later, I set up a small workshop with my best friend, also a designer, Taller Mandril. I also started working at Cosas a publishing house, where I learned everything about publishing and editorial design, as I had the opportunity to design many books and many magazines.
Today I work as an independent designer and as a freelance at Comer, a gastronomic MKT agency. I feel fortunate as I can work in areas I particularly like, including books and restaurant branding.
What do you enjoy most about being a designer?
I feel like a visual therapist. I advise different people to visually translate messages that they want to share with the world. Whether they are books, fanzines, magazines, posters, etc. I enjoy finding points and symbols in the process of conceptualizing. The execution is fun because I always try to collaborate with different people, I like to mix my work with printers that have experimental ways of transforming products through materiality and also with photographers or illustrators. But perhaps what I enjoy the most is the thinking process.
Being a woman, has it impacted your career?
Yes, I feel that the design field in Perú is a male environment. I want to change that. I want to break the idea that a female point of view and a female design is a conservative and stereotyped one. My aim is to change that thought.
How do you get inspired? What are your first steps to start a new project?
When the project gets into my hands I find keywords that can help me create a concept.
“I research the project’s history, whether it’s brands or a book. In general, my references are always historical and from there I evolve.”
Tell me about ‘Fanzines, pasquines and other papers for the fire’. I understand that it was part of your thesis project.
‘Fanzines, pasquines and other papers for the fire’ was my thesis project. The aim of my thesis was to find out the beginning of fanzines here in Lima. With this idea in mind, I was looking for publications in different formats and subjects. I came across some independent magazines published by different universities that helped me to find how youth imaginary was represented and explored in various types of printed expression. Also, I found print material published during the Peruvian revolution in 1791 for example, the first newspaper and some political flyers. In my opinion, fanzines respond to a feeling of emergency. Therefore, the errors and spontaneity within the graphic are unique in each edition.
The research ended in a home printed A5 book which was bound by hand. The covers were screen printed. This format means the book can be photoccopied and reprinted more easily. The second part of the project was an exhibition of fanzines from the 60’s to the 90’s.
In your experience, do you think there is an equity and diversity of men and women in the world of design?
Ten years ago equity didn’t exist. Probably there were six male designers to four female designers attending a graphic design course. But now I feel the business is diversifying. I teach at the Peruvian University of Applied Sciences (UPC) and most of the students are women. That makes me very happy, it means that the intellectual dominance of the male designer is breaking down.
Many people in the creative industry suffer from imposter syndrome and they greatly doubt their abilities. Have you experienced this? How do you handle it?
I suffer it all the time. I believe that it is impossible that the evil voice does not enter to our head. All we can do is try to and hug him. Design (especially Swiss design, which was the one I was taught) tends to be very perfect and at times it can break us down. That is why I am a fan of mistakes. My work responds to artisan processes because I like to tell people that there is a person behind it. That said, mistakes are always going to exist. We are not perfect and it is time for us to accept it.
Have you had a female role model, or a woman who has accompanied you on this path and helped you grow in your career?
My best friend Vania, who I mentioned before, we studied together at El Centro de la Imagen, she was a great learning partner. When we were students, we started our first studio, ‘Taller Mandril: the least masculine workshop’. We worked together with small and large clients. It was good to have another woman by my side defending our ideas.
What advice would you give to women who are currently thinking about starting a creative career?
What I always tell my students is to listen to a lot of music, read a lot of books and observe a lot.
“The only way to get good ideas is to investigate and be curious. Curiosity led me to where I am now.”
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I hope to have a much bigger studio (outside of my home) and work with three or four people. I don’t want to have something bigger than that because I like the projects and processes to be more intimate. My idea is for it to be a studio that helps women with the graphics for any project they want to start. I’m sick of pink branding and romantic fonts when it comes to female projects. We need to be taken seriously and it can start with bold visuals.
What designer, artist, photographer, creative inspires you?
I really like Luva Lukova‘s work, her conceptual proposal is super powerful.
Top three creative inspo picks:
I am a huge fan of Genietta Varsi, a sculptor from Lima. Fernanda Medina, female creative from Arequipa. Camila Rodrigo, photographer from Lima and Muriel Holguín,
a plastic and visual artist from Lima.
I really like the conceptual and material exploration process that all of the above do.
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Article by Camila Cardeñosa
Camila Cardeñosa is one of our collaborators who has written and curated a series of inspirational features showcasing Spanish speaking women designers based in Latin America and Europe.