Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Guzo Borboa. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Guzo thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I was 17 years old when I came across an announcement for a drawing contest. The prize: an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Paris.
Without hesitation, I began working on my proposal. I grabbed some old watercolors I found at home and started painting. I had always loved to draw —I’d been doing it since I was very young— but I had never considered the possibility of winning something truly meaningful in return.
The theme chosen by the organizers was a player from the national soccer team.
I sketched, ruined sheet after sheet with failed attempts, until the deadline finally arrived. I needed a finished piece by the next morning, and I still didn’t have anything worthwhile. I remember it as the first time I stayed up an entire night painting. When the sun rose, it was done. I placed my work in an envelope and delivered it.
A month later, I received a phone call: first place was mine. I couldn’t believe it.
And so that summer, accompanied by my best friend, I met the City of Light. I had never left my country before; the impact was overwhelming.
A whirlwind of colors, flavors, scents, and images. Paris —the historic capital of art— became a patient mentor. It revealed its secrets and guided me through its avenues, alleys, and museums. And it was there, in those museums, that I stood face-to-face with the great masters: works I had only seen in books, stories of artists who expressed their ideas despite all adversity, designers who changed the world, names that echoed within me in a way I couldn’t fully explain.
A week later, I returned to reality. Back home, my world looked the same, but something in me had changed forever. I knew I had to be part of that: the art, the movement, the adventure of creating.
The path has been long and far from easy, but in the end, I believe I made it. I am now part of the world of creativity and art —and trust me, it has all been worth it.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My background is in Industrial Design, but over the years I’ve shaped a much broader profile. Today, I consider myself an integral designer. I currently work across graphic design, branding, product design, illustration, muralism, and painting. I also teach art history and lead design and illustration workshops.

I run a design studio in Mexico City —Sextante Studio— where I collaborate with colleagues from different disciplines. However, after the pandemic, my practice as an independent designer has gained even more strength and visibility.

My approach focuses on creative partnership. I don’t just deliver designs —I craft experiences. I aim to be a guide, a strategic ally, someone who walks alongside the client to bring a shared vision to life. My goal is to create what I call a design experience in which the client becomes an active part of the process.

One of the things I’m most proud of is that clients now seek me out specifically for my style. Reaching that point wasn’t easy: for years, my work revolved around adapting to any aesthetic a project required. That flexibility opened many doors, but it also delayed the process of discovering and solidifying my own visual identity.

In recent years, I’ve specialized in designing collectible poker decks and developing brand identities for emerging small businesses. I genuinely enjoy helping entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life.
As an illustrator, I often incorporate analog drawing techniques to create a more human and natural identity, infused with retro influences, a touch of nostalgia, and avant-garde elements supported by new technologies.

I’ve received national and international recognition, and I love weaving elements of my country’s culture into my work as a distinctive signature.
My inspirations include the great masters —Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Velázquez, Caravaggio, Monet—, 20th-century designers like Mies van der Rohe and Kandinsky, and contemporary creators such as Guillermo del Toro, Hayao Miyazaki, and Philippe Starck, among many others.

In every project, I strive to tell a story and create a meaningful connection with the user or viewer. I firmly believe that design is a powerful tool capable of transforming the world we live in.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, creating has always felt like playing — this perfect blend of fun, curiosity, and beautifully controlled chaos. And the best part? It was something I could always share with others. Getting to make a living doing that… well, that’s pretty mind-blowing. It’s like I never had to stop being a kid — I just upgraded the toys.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Making it count… that’s the goal.
I want the art I create and the designs I build to have an impact —big or small— on anyone who sees them, uses them, or just stumbles across them.

And yeah, I know: not exactly easy in a world that keeps hitting fast-forward. But my mission is for my work to feel like finding a tiny flower growing through the pavement, or spotting a kitten inside an abandoned building — that little moment that brightens your day and reminds you there’s still something worth sticking around for.
If I can deliver that, even once, I’m on the right track.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.artstation.com/guzoborboa8
• Instagram: @GuzoBorboa
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GuzoBorboaArtista
• Youtube: @GuzoBorboa
• Other: https://www.behance.net/GuzoBorboa#