Samy La Crapule reflects on his tramshuman designs, renewed with each AR birth. He ponders on inclusivity and aspires to develop “queer avatars, with all morphologies”.

Let’s start by you just talking a bit about where you’re from and your general self. Would you say your background has had a strong influence on your work?
I am 21 years old, I was born in and have always lived in Paris. I do not think that my past has influenced my work, I think that my main influences have come from the internet culture, which has greatly developed in the last 10 years with the arrival of social networks. Also, I am a big fan of fashion and many fashion designer or runways inspire me, like the last season of Jacquemus, celebrating its 10th birthday. I found this very cinematographic.

How do you perceive the evolution of your creativity; how has your work formed into what it is today?
I've always been passionate about digital art, I started using Photoshop at age 11 and I always knew it was what I wanted to do later. I really bloomed in my work when I discovered 3D, for me it was a new world in front of me. I almost learned everything on my own, as an autodidact, Internet is the best teacher I found. I don't ask myself a lot of questions when I'm working but I remembered that I told myself I wanted to create 3D images like painter create their canvas.

What drew you to designing filters and animation in particular? How do you relate to the different realms you produce work through?
For me, filters are actually the new makeup of our generation. I am really fascinated by AR creators that are renewed with each one of their creations. This isn't something I want to do in the long term, but I liked creating my own filters, in collaboration with Trashy Muse and putting them onto 3D avatars.

Do you have any preparatory ceremonies before you begin a project, shoot and so on? Any creative rituals?
I don't have any particular rituals, but I really like working late at night, alone and in the dark! Sometimes it sounds like a mad scientist in his lab haha. Finally, it also allows me to focus on myself and my work, and to provide something more personal.

Do you have any thematic tendencies with your concepts?
I think my work is mostly about the future. I am really passionate about transhumanism and how to imagine the human of tomorrow. I don't know where this fascination for the future of humanity comes from, perhaps from video games or movies.

Designing beings can be very controversial. Do you see yourself as a creator of creatures, beings, models, something along these lines, or a different type of creator?
To be honest, I don't ask myself so many questions during creating. For me, I'm an image maker, trying to create strong visuals and, for now, it means creating avatars, but that will surely change in the future.

In this sector of design, I assume it is possible to design all types of physical forms. Why have you chosen to base your creations on the human physique?
As I said, I'm really fascinated by transhumanism and the idea of the "augmented" human, and I like the power of creating an avatar and customising it as I want, I love this feeling. Also, I think I'm influenced by fashion and current models, so maybe that's reflected in my work.

What do you think about the debates surrounding the designing of digital figures, and do you/how do you relate to yourself to these? Particularly regarding the influence of the male gaze over this industry.
This is a very good question because as a man, I wonder more and more about how cisgender men behave in society and interact with other people, whether this is with women or non-binary people. Also, when I started working on 3D avatars, I immediately thought that I wanted my work to be as inclusive as possible. I try to represent a range of ethnicities for now, but I would like to go even further by creating queer avatars, with all morphologies, etc...

What are your thoughts on the current and gradual remoulding of the creative industries; what are your thoughts on your creative industry?
I think that the industry has changed a lot, particularly because of Instagram, which has reinvented the profession of being an artist, in my opinion. Anyone can post their work and explode on social networks. It can sometimes saturate the market, but I still find it stimulating, as a creative, to be able to communicate instantly with work that comes from all over the world.

What’s next for you?
Many projects are coming. I also try to always progress and go further in my work. Aaaaaaand I have to finish my studies ...