Guilherme Atan

Guilherme Atan

Guilherme Atan, better known as ATAN, was born in the early 1990s in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. After graduating in advertising, he went on to study design at the Mauá Institute of Technology.
His talent was quickly recognised there, enabling him to win one of the few scholarships to study in England, while continuing to gain professional experience as a designer.

In 2016, he founded Atan Design and distinguished himself by taking part in the Ekos Hackaton project organised by Natura Campus, ranking among the finishers of this collaborative project focusing on biodiversity.

However, ATAN remains deeply passionate about art and drawing. He continues to explore different techniques, while seeking to perfect his art. Gradually, ATAN became an emerging figure in contemporary calligraphic portraiture.

My practice focuses on the search for depth and contrast, exploring the colors and transparencies that I obtain through the dilution of pigments in the composition of the work. – Guilherme Atan

Atan is part of a long continuity, which goes beyond the simple artistic aspect: the French calligraphic caricature of the end of the 18th century, which was gradually liberalised, or the Arabic calligraphic arts, which have been admired on an impressive variety of media for centuries.

What sets ATAN’s work apart is his ability to marry calligraphy and portraiture to capture the essence of a moment, creating an exceptionally profound artistic expression. He skilfully layers script with a delicate lightness to give density to his subjects.

Thanks to his technical mastery and artistic sensitivity, he is able to create both physical and emotional depth using only two apparent dimensions.