The crayons and colored pencils of childhood traced the destiny of carioca designer Tati Vitsic, who today is thriving in New York, serving major brands such as GAP, Lucky Brand, Reebok, and Macy’s.
Her entrepreneurial spirit is evident in the stationery products of her company “Pommy New York,” which has earned her several awards, including the “Outstanding Achievement Award” (Interactive Media Awards).
In this interview for The Brasilians, Tati shares her success journey from Brazil to NY and offers tips for those starting in the Graphic Design field.
The Brasilians: Tati, you discovered your talent for graphic arts when you were still a child, participating in several exhibitions at the age of 13. How was this discovery?
Tati Vitsic: Drawing has always come naturally to me since childhood, and I started taking drawing classes for adults at the age of 10 at the Tijuca Tennis Club Painting Studio. My mother is 
a plastic artist and my father is an engineer, so I believe the artistic path came from my family. At 13, I participated in my first Arts Salon for adults at the Naval Club of Rio de Janeiro.
TB: Do you have any childhood stories related to the arts that marked you?
TV: Since I was little, I participated in several children’s drawing contests and won various prizes, like a chocolate pie from a frozen food store. This encouraged me even more to pursue the idea of being a designer when I grew up.
TB: What was your journey as a graphic artist while living in Brazil?
TV: Even during school, I created stickers to sell and made my agenda covers, theater set designs, t-shirts, etc. Professionally, I started working as a graphic designer while still in college for Visual Communication at PUC. I worked in graphic design in the cultural, non-governmental, and corporate sectors, as well as a web designer, having worked at Globosat and Petrobras. Later, I had my office in the area of stationery/custom invitations. Throughout my work as a designer, I always sought to incorporate my illustrations.
TB: How did you end up in the USA?
TV: The first time I came to the USA was in 1996, when I took some courses at the School of Visual Arts in the areas of Graphic Computing, Illustration, and Design. After that, I came several times to 
visit, but always wanting to stay longer! Until in 2006, I got a company to apply for my H1B visa in the web design field. Since then, there have been several comings and goings due to visa issues.
TB: Tell us about the work you do here in the United States?
TV: I worked for a few years at Cake & Arrow, where I participated in web projects for brands such as Citibank, Metlife, Kaplan, Ivanka Trump Collection, among others, and received several prestigious awards. After more than 10 years working in web design, I decided to change fields and go back to school. In 2014, I graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in Textile Design/Printing. Since then, I have been working in fashion and home goods, with projects for Roxy, Reebok, Macy’s, Lucky Brand, Burlington, Forever 21, Walmart, etc.
TB: What is Pommy New York?
TV: As soon as I graduated from FIT, I launched my brand of prints and illustrations, POMMY NEW YORK, which has a colorful, fun, playful, and youthful style. My prints can be seen on products such as clothing, bags, scarves, cushions, towels, notebooks, among others, and have been sold to Gap/Old Navy, Walmart, Kohls, Rainbow Shops, Joann Fabrics, Uniform Advantage, etc.
Additionally, I still work as a freelancer as a graphic designer and illustrator, developing logos, visual identity, stationery, posters, cards, banners, etc. One of my illustrations for the #Vaccinated campaign by Amplifier.org was just selected and awarded in the poster design competition to promote vaccination against Covid-19.
I continue to work in the plastic arts as well, and I have participated in several exhibitions at the FIT Museum, Brooklyn Art Library, Figment NYC, and LIC Arts Open.
TB: What difficulties did you encounter as a Brazilian artist living in the United States?
TV: The biggest difficulty is undoubtedly the visa issue. It is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain a visa to work legally here. Even with a work permit, it is still complicated to enter the job market without someone to refer you, as competition is very high. Not to mention that there are companies that require a green card to be part of the selection process.
TB: Which artists have influenced you the most?
TV: As a child, the Brazilian illustrator who influenced me the most was Daniel Azulay, and internationally, Walt Disney was an inspiration. Because my mother is a plastic artist, I had access to many art books from an early age and admired Van Gogh, Renoir, Degas, Matisse, Picasso. At PUC, I was greatly influenced by the great illustrator Amador Perez and children’s book illustrator Guto Lins. At SVA, I had the opportunity to study with the renowned designer Milton Glaser, creator of the “I ❤️ NY” brand.
TB: Where do you seek inspiration?
TV: I have been passionate about NYC since 1996, and this city is a living source of inspiration due to the diversity of people and cultures from 
all over the world. I like to seek inspiration in books, artists, magazines, websites, photographs, museums, exhibitions, movies, on the streets, etc. But I also draw inspiration from other aspects of life, nature, and travel, by keeping my eyes and mind open. A simple walk in the park, by the river, can be so relaxing that it opens my mind to new ideas. So, inspiration can come from anything, really, as long as we look at life with sensitivity and attention to detail. The challenge is to transform what we see into art.
TB: What advice would you give to someone who wants to start their career in graphic arts?
TV: The graphic design field is very broad and allows designers to work in various areas, thus providing many opportunities to experiment. Try to do what you love and enjoy the process from learning in college to professional life. If this is your talent, if you love what you do, chase it hard, study, be dedicated, and fight for it! The life of an artist is not easy, but it is much harder not to be an artist.