Interpreting Art: Matacho

An analysis of Matacho’s Visual Language and Contemporary Myth

David Náñez, known professionally as Matacho, is a Colombian graphic designer, illustrator, and urban artist from Popayán, a city famed for its white houses and Holy Week processions. (Náñez, 2015) Rooted in Colombian culture, his work blends influences from skateboarding, street art, and hip hop with the visual language of pre-Columbian civilizations. He reimagines ancient stories through modern design, applying them to everyday objects in collaboration with brands such as Citroën, Victorinox, and Paperwallet. Matacho’s work combines repetition, basic shapes, and symmetry to create dynamic compositions. He describes vector art as imbuing his work with “magic and power.”(Náñez, 2015) With vivid color and precision, his pieces revive ancestral myths through a contemporary lens—hypnotic, intricate, and deeply connected to the spirit of his homeland. The design on Matacho’s Swiss Army knife resembles an ornate pair of ancient earrings, marked by elegant symmetry and refined color. Through intricate line-work, David Ñáñez channels the visual language of pre-Columbian art, creating a composition that feels both modern and timeless. Structured freeform shapes establish rhythm and balance, while his subtle signature red heart energizes the otherwise cool palette.

“Balancing a composition involves arranging both positive elements and negative space in such a way that no one area of the design overpowers other areas” (Bradley, 2015). Ñáñez’s concept of “counterform”—the use of negative space—adds depth to his work in this way. Even when negative space is minimal, the repetition and balance of forms produce a meditative harmony rather than visual overload.

In his black-and-white compositions, high contrast and curvilinear lines generate movement, while acute angles introduce tension and grit. The interplay of counterform sharpens the focal point, reinforcing the same balance, repetition, and controlled density evident across Matacho’s broader visual language.

Grounded in symmetry, repetition, and controlled contrast, Matacho’s work operates as a cohesive visual system rather than a collection of isolated designs. Drawing from both ancestral motifs and contemporary aesthetics, his compositions achieve equilibrium through balanced forms, disciplined color relationships, and the strategic use of counterform. Across formats and applications, these principles remain consistent, producing work that feels structured, rhythmic, and immediately recognizable as part of a unified visual language.

References

Bradley, S. (2015, June 29). Design principles: Compositional, symmetrical and asymmetrical balance. Smashing Magazine. https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2015/06/design-principles-compositional-balance-symmetry-asymmetry/

David & Charles. Paperwallet. (2025). Our artists. https://paperwallet.com/pages/our-artists?srsltid=AfmBOoqmk1dQAbJptuQCQkuWXCuhGuN7mUUtwJ3KVH5g6BJ7uqJXfMiC 

Ñáñez, D. (2015). Geometric Pattern Design - Matacho Descorp. Domestika. https://www.domestika.org/en/courses/2324-geometric-pattern-design/units/9508-introduction