XPPen 20th Anniversary Special: A Conversation with Argentinian Motion Graphics Designer Esteban Diacono

— Stay Curious, Stay Engaged

As part of XPPen’s 20th Anniversary Special Interview Series, we sat down with Argentine motion graphic designer and digital artist Esteban Diacono to explore the intersections of digital art, technology, and the future. Over the course of more than three decades, Esteban has been driven by curiosity and a relentless spirit of exploration. To him, “Back to Future, Create Now!” is not simply a theme, but a dialogue across time, where every creation carries the imprint of the past while extending a message toward the future. He sees the future not as a distant unknown, but as something shaped through every moment of bold experimentation and wholehearted creation. This courage to embrace uncertainty, while continuing to innovate, is what Esteban believes makes art truly powerful.

In an age saturated with visual content, Esteban continues to draw inspiration from nature and human motions, interpreting the tension between reality and surrealism with humor, absurdity, and a distinctive aesthetic that blends fluid motion, procedural design, and organic precision. For him, the true impact of art lies not in standardized beauty but in the emotional resonance sparked through direct connection with the audience. Every act of creation, he notes, is a conversation with the future—uncertain, yet worth pursuing with passion. From digital concepts to 3D printing, Esteban continues to push the boundaries between art and technology, embodying the very spirit of “innovation and breakthrough” that XPPen has always championed.

XPPen: How did you first get into digital art and motion design/animation? Why you chose to express yourself in a digital medium? What drew your self-taught interest?

Esteban: The idea of communicating using visual sign language really fascinated me, but once I discovered the world of animation and 3D, everything kind of changed for me. Bringing images to life, adding rhythm, time motion to the things that I had been creating. From that moment on, nothing felt as exciting as animation.

XPPen: Could you share about the main direction of your creative work? How do you define the style of your art?

Esteban: I would consider my personal work, which revolves around the absurd, because I love the tension. That happens when you mix something that looks real with a surreal element. It's more like the result of learning through play. I've really come to enjoy that kind of unpredictability. That shift in perspective has really helped me stay curious and stay engaged over the years, again and again, rekindling my relationship with animation. If there's something that my work expresses, is a sense of humor, a sense of joy, and curiosity. Being okay with not knowing exactly where things are going.

XPPen: When using a drawing display as your creation tool, what features or innovations do you value most to help you express your ideas?

Esteban: I've always seen technology not just as us at all, but more like my own creative partner, something that expands what's possible. One of the things that I appreciate about using a drawing display like XPPen, I think there's a certain immediacy in the interactions, the connections between the eye, the hand. The display definitely feels more intuitive, more natural keeps the ideas flowing. When the hardware feels natural, I can stop thinking about how I'm working and instead focus entirely on what I'm trying to create. On a more technical side, I think the color accuracy is also something great for me, in terms of trust. Knowing that what I'm seeing is consistent and reliable, all the way to production, means I can make my decisions in a more confident way.

XPPen: This year’s theme is ‘Back to Future, Create Now.’ As we invite creators to explore limitless possibilities together, how do you interpret this theme?

Esteban: I think that "Back to Future, Create Now" is kind of a dialogue between time frames. Many of the things that I've loved and that influenced me in the past are really present in what I do today. In a way, creating is like sending some sort of a message forward in time. You don't always know who is it for, how will it land how it will be perceived, but you did it and you do it anyway. That act of imagining and making it's what connects us with what's next.

XPPen: How do you see the relationship between digital art and technology development? How does experimenting with new technologies spark fresh ideas in your creative work?

Esteban: Technology keeps reshaping the way I think and the way I create. I've always seen technology more like my own creative partner, something that expands what's possible. I think that at its best, technology should feel invisible. Let's call it like a quiet enabler of ideas. When the tools support you without drawing attention to themselves, that's when the most interesting things tend to happen.

XPPen: As XPPen celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, do you have any special wishes or messages for the brand as it marks this milestone?

Esteban: Happy 20th Anniversary XPPen. It's been two decades of empowering creators. And I think that's something really worth celebrating. I really hope you keep doing it for many, many more years. Happy birthday, XPPen!