A masterclass in Brazilian anthropophagy design

Discover how Davartos uses the design method of Brazilian anthropophagy to create ‘Third World art’. A deep dive into branding, world building, and the unique ONCA art method.

Brazil’s creative scene reaches a new peak with Davartos, a São Paulo studio that is redefining what it means to create ‘Third World art’. Led by ROCHA Branding, the studio serves as a multidisciplinary hub for everything from classical painting and music composition to complex world-building for an upcoming cRPG. Their work is not just about aesthetics; it is a deep dive into Latin American identity, heavily influenced by Oswald de Andrade’s “Manifesto Antropófago” (Cannibalistic Manifesto). This philosophy of anthropophagy suggests that Brazilian culture must “devour” foreign influences and digest them to create something entirely new and authentically local.

Davartos’ visual identity is a masterclass in this ‘devouring’ process. Their brand materials lean towards the provocative slogan ‘Where Ideas Grow Teeth’, signaling a shift from passive consumption to active, critical creation. You can see this tension in their Protagonist Concept for ‘Forty Years Later’, where raw realism and unique ‘Tupi or not Tupi?’ spirit. Quoting twentieth-century thinkers such as Darcy Ribeiro and Sergio Buarque de Holanda, Davartos bases his modern digital art on a legacy of sociological criticism.

What makes this project so special is the ‘ONCA’ art method, which focuses on the digestion of global culture in a ‘Third World’ perspective. The studio’s brand artifacts use high-contrast layouts and bold typography to reflect the revolutionary spirit of Brazil’s modernists. It reminds us that design can be a tool for decolonization, especially if it embraces its own ‘underdeveloped’ roots to transcend the bright future.

Davartos proves that the most exciting work comes when we stop imitating and start ‘eating’. If you’re looking for inspiration that bites, this studio is the place to look.

The images described in the project analysis are located behind this text.

Credits: ROCHA brand