Ugarte
ABOUT
Gastón Ugarte is an Argentine art director, modeling supervisor, and visual development artist whose work has helped shape some of the most celebrated animated films of the past two decades. Born and raised in San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina, he discovered a passion for drawing and painting at an early age. Determined to pursue a career in animation long before the industry was accessible in his home country, he left Argentina to study Computer Animation and Illustration at Ringling College of Art and Design in Florida after briefly studying architecture at the Universidad Nacional de Tucumán.
After beginning his professional career at Charlex and later Sony Pictures Imageworks, Ugarte joined Pixar Animation Studios in 2007. Starting as a modeler on WALL·E, he quickly established himself as a specialist in creating immersive digital environments, eventually becoming a Sets Modeling Supervisor and later an Art Director. Throughout his career at Pixar, he has contributed to numerous acclaimed productions, including WALL·E, Up, Brave, The Good Dinosaur, Coco, Hoppers, and other studio projects, helping design and build the richly detailed worlds that bring Pixar's stories to life.
Known for combining artistic sensibility with technical expertise, Ugarte believes that memorable environments are more than scenery—they are characters in their own right, supporting story, emotion, and performance. His background in traditional drawing, painting, architecture, and sculpture continues to influence his approach to world-building and visual storytelling.
Outside the studio, Ugarte is an accomplished painter, sculptor, and photographer whose personal artwork often celebrates the landscapes, neighborhoods, and soccer culture of Argentina. He is also developing original animated stories inspired by Latin American culture and has become a frequent speaker, sharing his journey from Tucumán to Hollywood with aspiring artists around the world. He lives in Northern California with his wife and their two sons, while remaining deeply connected to his Argentine roots.