(Photo by Gerard Pareja)
A sterling collection of visuals and designs precedes PJ Ong. With his forward-thinking, precise lines and frisk of colors, the just-turned thirty-five graphic designer was the recent talk-of-the-town with his brand of art featured in the Feel The SEA Graphic Shirts from the global brand Uniqlo.
With such bravery, even then PJ was never scared of pursuing what he loves the most. He is among those who go beyond the glossy facade in pursuit of the world that is the arts.
“I dropped out during college,” he shares.
“I was then taking up IT and probably it was just the in thing during that time. You just have to do what makes you happy and make sure that if you want to do things differently you have to stick with it. You have to own it. In this industry it’s encouraged to break the rules. But you have to know the rules before you break them.”
Relentless. It is this force of words that somehow led him to establish his business Inodoro Design way back in 2003. Born and raised in Cebu, PJ
never holds back in pursuing new ventures and the good life ahead.
Beyond the stroke of the pen, ideas and creative pursuits, PJ Ong credits two things to remain thriving: Remain grateful and always deliver.
All nerves and just be brave. It is what it is. Inodoro, why the name?
Everybody is asking me that. Being Cebuano I am proud of everything that’s Cebuano. On the onset I wanted a name that’s off or dark in theme. Something that’s easy to remember. A little bit controversial.
People may make an issue out of it so I always make sure that my work stands out rather than my name. And I need to prove that.
On the heydays there were many people who came up with a cool name, but now I think that won’t matter anymore.
I just wanted to establish a name that’s somehow anti-authority, all about fun and not to take the name seriously.
So, how do you work?
Every time I do a project, each of my projects, my main go-to are films or music.
It can’t work without music in the background. When I am working I need to listen to experimental music, the noise genre.
It’s the type of sonic music that’s big in Japan and Europe since the late 80s and 90s.
Would you still remember your first creative works?
I have been making album covers for my mixtapes way back in high school. It was just cut and paste, get some pictures and put them together or make a collage of something, and that was it.
Take us to that moment when you realized that graphic design is and will be your life.
I went to Toronto and took up Computer Graphics because I dropped out during college. That was in Thames when I thought that Information
Technology just wasn’t my thing.
I was then taking up IT, probably since it was the in thing during the time.
What happened was my mom made me do a brochure for her clinic.
I tried doing it sa Photoshop and learned it from there.
I realized that it was something I can be good at, so I took the course in Canada.
I studied it in Canada because it was the easiest choice as well as I needed to reconnect with my cousins because they were also into graphic arts, they also published their magazine, an urban hip-hop magazine.
Contributed photo
And the opportunity with Uniqlo?
It was their Japan headquarters that emailed me.
That was 10 in the evening, and I remember watching a horror movie with my girlfriend.
I was blown away by the opportunity.
One of their business contacts from Malaysia discovered my work and from there the rest was history.
They gave me 15 days to come up with 10 designs.
Fifteen days only. A deadline is a good inspiration. It’s stressful but it’s good sometimes.
How was the entire experience working for the global brand?
It was all about the chill factor, the excitement of being able to work with Uniqlo.
So the entire process was done through email.
I only had a simple briefing in coming up with the design and that is to only come up with designs of three colors.
That was it. I had the total freedom. That’s the thing with Uniqlo—they respect the artist.
I only have to submit eight to 10 designs but they will only pick three to five out of what I made. I was happy they picked five.
Have you always been inclined towards graphic arts?
I have been drawing since nursery, as far as I can remember.
However, I stopped in high school because growing up your interests change.
It evolved to you getting pictures off the internet and pasting it together with different elements so that was Photoshop for me.
That’s how I understood Photoshop.
And then I realized that I can make my own style from scratch where there’s no copyright issues so I learned how to go about with Adobe Illustrator.
And your taste and affinity toward graphic design, how did this develop?
I used to like bones and skulls. Also skateboards. But as the years went by, I got tired of looking at it. Let’s just say I want it more
to be happy.
I want to be happy, and it took a while for me to establish that mindset. I like the novelty part of anything that’s avant-garde and abstract.
I am always drawn to that genre.
In the business side of things, what are you particular about?
Quality. There’s a lot of design thought and thinking given to a certain part and as a whole. That’s why I always ask my clients for time because I need my art to evolve and grow.
For example if I finish my art today, I need to see it again the very next day and assess if it works or if the design has the integrity.
That’s my ultimate test.
What’s your vague recollection of childhood?
Let’s just say I am a little bit anti-establishment and anti-mainstream, and I’ve asked myself before as to why I am always drawn to the underground. I started with death metal music and got into skateboarding in Kinder 2 up until Grade 2, and at that time there weren’t a lot of skateboarders.
I was hanging out with most of the older guys in our neighborhood.
I had my first Metallica in Kinder.
What or who were your influences then?
In films, I like the weird stuff. “Naked Lunch” and “Videodrome” by David Cronenberg—I know these are not pleasing to everyone.
I’ve been listening to Bjork since high school and she’s my inspiration even today. It would a dream to design for Bjork.
The first time I listened to her I was speechless. It’s the thought of her individuality, being able to transcend to the mainstream. Just wow.
Where did you get all of your inspiration?
It’s a mix of home and travelling.
Because in school they only teach you the technicalities and it’s up to you to hone that taste. I think that would really matter to you as a designer.
Well, siguro , in a way it doesn’t matter if you go abroad just to have that degree. All you need is to develop that taste.
What were you like as a student?
I’d say I was an excellent student. I was always at the top of my class actually.
I remember that in some art projects some of my classmates would get demotivated and wouldn’t want to continue with their projects because they saw mine first.
I always get accolades from classmates that I killed it again.
What’s it like now that you’re running the business?
I am lucky because right now most of my clients are from the fashion industry.
There’s also this upcoming music and art festival in Manila and Japan, as well as packaging for a coffee brand.
Usually I am the only one. It depends on the project though I do have collaborators.
After I get married we need to come up with the studio.
How do you deal with horror clients?
I think anybody in the art department encounters them.
They may take the task lightly.
Or some are just frustrated artists. You just have to be professional to them and let them know that this is still a business— design is a business.
So if you’re already done with the task or the project, simply establish that if they’re not happy with the final product then don’t post it as your portfolio.
You just have to put value on your work as an artist.
What sets Inodoro apart from the other design establishments?
We are not riding on the trends.
I am not sure with the new ones but I’ve seen baya some quality works of some artists. On my end I’d like to believe that you just can’t accept all of the clients.
Are you more of an artist or a businessman?
There’s this saying that artists are bad businessmen.
Of course, on my end, I don’t want to make that true.
In a way I have to educate myself, and it rings true that design is business, art is about yourself.
To me it’s really important that you need to be a businessman also. In any kind of business there’s always ups and downs though lately I have been attracting the right kind of clients.
The types that I want na open-minded and forward thinking.
How do you see things in the future?
Married with kids, and on the business side, maybe I want to expand more.
I am an angel investor of a startup company based here in Cebu called “Hoy!”, an advertising app.
In the future, I may direct my own experimental film.
Also I want to make my own music videos.
I am all about the 90s music videos from director Stephane Sednaoui.
I am more driven by Chris Cunningham. Of course, Spike Jonze was smart.
My ultimate favorite music video is “Come to Daddy” by Aphex Twin.
Was it easy when you started in this industry?
No, I was zero.
How did you thrive?
I was and still am living with my parents.
I was designing menus sa akoang father’s restaurant, which was the former Zao.
My daddy also had a graphic artist before and that guy also turned out to be one of my mentors who taught me the basics of Photoshop.
I was just lucky that through word of mouth I got to do album covers for musicians and eventually doing posters for bars, and then that layout stint with CDN.
If by chance, would you recommend this kind of industry to your child?
Yes. And it follows that you have to be smart and aggressive.
That’s why more than being an artist you have to pay your bills. This is hard work. In the future I may start to propose and pitch in ideas.
What do you do on your downtime?
Movies. And sleeping, which is a luxury. I am so easy to please. The last movie I watched was Jackie Chan’s “The Foreigner” and it was good.
Also I take pleasure in downloading old music from the 60s or 70s… that’s what I do now.
I always go back to the old film type of music.
I am not open to the new music right now, and I don’t know why, probably because there’s not much context in there.
There’s not much sentimentality for me in there anymore.
Sad to say not much originality because they are just mixing stuff and that’s the sad thing about experimentation.
I take pleasure in the old stuff.
How far would you go? Do you have certain limitations?
The good thing about being a graphic designer is that you can do anything.
You can evolve. You are not limited to just printing, I mean, if you to want, go further by doing painting, or film.
Just be an artist.