Meet Esteban Diacono: the guy who can make a melting digital face feel more relatable than your neighbor. Born in Buenos Aires and now based in Barcelona, he’s carved out a space in motion design where surreal forms and raw emotion collide. His work isn’t about glossy perfection; it’s about giving you that uncanny gut punch when a GIF makes you say, “oh wow, that’s exactly how I feel inside.”

Those elastic, shape-shifting heads? They’re not just eye candy. They’re metaphors for the way identity stretches, collapses, and reforms daily. They’re grotesque, yes, but somehow tender too. Watching one is like catching your reflection in a warped mirror and realizing it’s telling you a truth you didn’t want to admit.

Diacono started out in graphic design and After Effects tinkering, but somewhere along the way he ditched the rulebook and started chasing feeling over form. And that’s his magic trick: he makes pixels breathe. Sometimes literally—you can almost hear his animations sigh, gasp, or hum in rhythm with your own chest.

Of course, he doesn’t stay locked in his lab of emotional experiments. Diacono’s collaborations with musicians and brands prove he can translate his surreal touch without sanding down the edges. The result? Commercial work that refuses to just “sell” and instead makes you stop scrolling long enough to feel something.

Sound plays a big part, too. He pairs his visuals with audio that heightens the mood—delicate rhythms, unnerving loops, the sonic equivalent of goosebumps. It’s a reminder that his work isn’t just about watching. It’s about sensing.

In a digital world overflowing with polished emptiness, Esteban Diacono throws us a lifeline: motion design with a pulse.

Curious? Dive into his world at www.estebandiacono.com—just don’t be surprised if the animations end up staring right back at you.