SND46 Q&A: Infographics Portfolio winner: Victor Sanjinez

Who are you?

My name is Victor Sanjinez Garcia and I have been an infographic artist since 2010. I started at the newspaper El Comercio in Peru, then at Contrarréplica in Mexico, and currently I am at the South China Morning Post. I like illustration and I usually use it as a tool in my work process.

What was the most challenging piece of work in your portfolio and why?

Two instances stand out. The first was in 2016 when I visited the former president of Peru, Alberto Fujimori, in prison. Since cell phones and cameras were prohibited, my task was to meticulously memorize every detail of his cell to later recreate it in the newsroom. More recently, in 2025, I faced a similar challenge during Jimmy Lai's hearing. As cameras and real-time note-taking were banned, I had to commit the entire proceedings to memory and reconstruct the scene back in the newsroom. The subsequent production of the graphics was a genuine relief.

Thinking about a specific piece in your portfolio, what was your initial goal? What parts of your creative vision did you have to sacrifice in order to complete the project?

For this piece, I initially planned to combine illustration with hard data, but time and space constraints forced me to rethink my approach and decide what to sacrifice, so I sacrificed the data. Sometimes doubts can arise during the process, when you have too many elements or not enough, but if you have a general idea of what you want to convey, one way or another the piece will end up as it was meant to be.

What part of the creative process do you enjoy the most?

The part of the process I enjoy most is right after the entire process of gathering and filtering abundant information, when based on the information I can dedicate myself to finding the way the graphic will be presented, looking for a concept for the story, looking for an appropriate color palette to generate sensations in the reader and immersing myself in the visual possibilities that can be found in the illustration.

What is your typical timeframe to complete a project? What resources do you have?

It depends on the story; if it's very complex and requires more information, it could take up to two months. Regarding resources, I can do it with what I have on hand, but if I need data verification or more information, I can turn to another team competent in the subject or contact a specialist.

What are you working on now?

These days have been very intense due to the fires in the Tai Po district, so I'm immersed in graphics, both breaking news and post-fire stories. I'm also reflecting on the memory of those who died. At the same time, I'm following the case of Jimmy Lai (a media mogul imprisoned for the 2020 protests) by attending court to work on his case.

If your SND46 portfolio were a playlist, what songs would be included?

• "Imagine" John Lennon
• "Ansiedad" Nat King Cole
• "Hello" Adele
• "Contra el poder" Pedro Guerra
• "Solo le pido a Dios" Mercedes Sosa
• " Everybody hurts" R.E.M

What is your experience with SND and the competition?

I started receiving SND awards in 2014, and the idea of sharing the podium with so many talented people around the world excites me. I'm part of this group of people who enjoy and face the same challenges in our work, regardless of the country they're in. I'm very fortunate to know them personally.