PAST

I’m always… a positive person.
I grew up… with colour paints.
When I was a child, I wanted to be… a vet!!!
I never thought about me… working outside a creative world.

PRESENT

Right now… drinking a beer.
My favourite hobby… Begur, the beach and the sun.
My work means.. stability
I feel like at home… comfy.
On a rainy day… I use a lot of China ink.
I couldn’t live without… light.
I’ve always wondered how… I would be bold!!!
I wish I knew… when I’m talking seriously
Every day I like… to smile while looking to the mirror in the mornings.
I wish I could… fall sleep faster.
I’m a great believer in… keeping life balance.
An open secret about me… I love wood.
I wish I had… erase and save buttons.
A perfect day… is what I try to have each single day.
Art is… my passion, the way I express myself.
If you are going to travel to… India, wait one more year.
I’m bored… very few times

FUTURE

Someday I hope… I don’t hope, I’ve got it.
I’d like to be… father.
My next step is… large format pieces.
In ten years… 45.

I am really impressed with your work, they are sculptures, but most of them could be jewellery pieces, have you ever thought about it?
Yes, I have thought about them as jewellery and sometimes making very simple, assembled pieces, but making sculpture is a different activity and has a kind of intention that does not include being useful.

Tell us how you began, because you used to make drawings and later, with everything that you usually collect you found a way to express your drawings?
I have always drawn on paper and have sometimes drawn from natural objects I collected. At some point I realized I was drawing sculptural forms and did not need the rectangle of the paper, or the paper for that matter. I found a black wire that looked like a pencil line and started “drawing” with that. Eventually I began to include some of the wonderful objects I had collected on walks and hikes, from the city or the countryside. I still think of most of the work as drawings. They are just paperless drawings.

You use different materials, do you treat some of them beforehand to be able to work with them?
Not usually. Work I make from natural materials can change in color or shrink and dry out. It is part of the work. I try not to work with materials that disintegrate however.

Did you develop your own technique?
I developed my “wire work” by myself, no instructors, but I did attend college and graduate school and have taken some welding classes along the way.

You use wire in its natural color, what about adding artificial coloring?
Yes, I use materials as I find them. I haven’t made much work with artificial color, although I have a huge soil collection that I sometimes use in pieces. It is very colorful.

Do you consider each piece to be unique?
Yes.

How much time can it take to create one of your works?
It can take a couple of weeks or months. Sometimes one day, it depends on the materials and size.

You design all of your own works. Do you ever accept commissions?
I do accept commissions.

You work on your own. How do you feel working alone all day long?
I love to work alone. I love solitude. I just completed a residency in North Norfolk England. It took three weeks, of which I was alone the whole time, except for interacting occasionally with my hosts. It was very productive.

How did you start to become known for your work?
I just kept reaching out, looking for exhibition opportunities and building my experience and, as a result, my resume.

How do you sell your work?
I have several galleries who sell my work.

Being an artist, how do you deal with the highs and lows?
I believe in myself and keep working.

What is the most difficult thing about your work?
It’s fragility.

What do you enjoy most about your work?
Accidents.

Which work has had the biggest success?
Work that includes stones.

What’s your dream project?
Creating an entire environment of steel rods and stones.

We show you today the project ” ARCHITECTURE ON PAPER” that we have made for the Exhibition MDBY ARTISAN HUB’14 in Galery Mitte Barcelona.
Thanks to RAIMA for their sponsorship!!

At the Design Schools you teach, what do your students contribute?
Students always contribute something. It constantly enriches you, as when they correctly solve a problem so as when the do not succeed. On the first case, learning is implied. On the second one is not so obvious, although it might be stronger. For a professor, it’s quite easy to distinguish among what is well solved and built and what is not. Translate it in a reasonable and argued way for a student to be accepted is not so simple. This issue might be quite demanding, due to you may be throwing hours of effort and study away, the student won’t give up easily (you have to understand that their obstinacy is almost a must).
Gaining their trust while you’re arguing about their work is a reiterative process and quite demanding which, at the end, enriches you.

I really like teaching, however, I sometimes collide with student’s motivation, which has nothing to with your teaching motivation. In your case, do your students transmit their personal motivations to their work? Do they have any external motivation?
I think that the lack of motivation you mentioned is one of the main problems that teachers must daily deal with. I have to admit that it’s something I haven’t been able to solve yet: is our commitment to supply this external drive or if it’s something that the student should include. I tend to think it should be the second option, however, due to the current picture, the social and economic context students and future professionals have ahead (and being aware of it), you cannot be so demanding with them. At the end, I try to do my best in the classroom by transmitting my passion to my profession… If by doing so I get to give them strength, it’d be perfect. If I don’t, you detach yourself from it and trust in your next lesson as a better one.

Do your students take part in your letterpress work as BunkerType?
I’d love that schools could have letterpress workshops. In fact, the most significant Design Schools in Europe own their letterpress spaces, but the truth is that in our country they’re rather unknown or useless. Every time I have the chance, at least I try to make one visit to my workshop; however, the difficulty of the process and the student’s ratio don’t help… Anyway, I try to include as many letterpress material as I’m able (basically it means how big my backpack is), which always help me to explain some issues, as analogical mechanisms are way more explanatory than any digital process. From a pedagogical point of view, it’s a useful resource not only by its loquacity, but its power of attraction onto students.

Which is the hardest aspect of manual printing?
I would say that changing your mind in regards with the process. Being able to understand that the trial/error system doesn’t work: build a text using 24 pt Bodoni font can take an hour. Adding it to a mould and test it, just ten minutes. To realise that you need a smaller letter block, just a couple of seconds. Removing it and repeating the process with a smaller letter block, could take another hour and a half. In other words, you might need a hole morning to do something that only would take a cmd+z action on your computer.

Which aspect do you like most?
I enjoy all the process, although the most satisfying aspect could be the removal action. Anyway, if I had to headlight only one moment, I’d say that, at some occasions, the instant you lift the paper up after your first print session might be magical.

How do you see your print shop in 5 years from now?
I’ve just expanded my workshop and I had had to move all my stuff from one place to another, so I’d rather not to image many changes like this! Furthermore, I’m really glad with all the growth of BunkerType, keeping like this would be enough, although… I must say that my challenge is to show my work outside Spain. If I had to think about any improvement, would be this one!

Is there something you regret professionally speaking?
We always do things that we can regret. It’s a fact. I’ve tried to learn from all my mistakes, and luckily none of them has been fatal, so… what is done, is done!

From all the things you’ve learnt about printing, what would you headlight and share?
Gutenberg’s mobile printing invention really shocked me. We often fall in the mistake of establishing ties between famous historical characters and their success, as we relate them with their inventions and discoveries. Although, we hardly ever get to know the process that they went through to get their achievements or how these ones influenced their lives. Gutenberg’s invention radically changed our history, without it, social and cultural changes would hardly ever have been possible centuries later. However, his career was surrounded by lacks of understanding and misfortunes which he could only save by being tenant and by knowing his transcendence. Suffice it to say that the whole process started at 1440 and lasted about 15 years, which is really well informed by the numerous trials he had to deal with and that ended up by confiscating his workshops and famous Bibles.

gave us the guidelines on which we assembled our first typographical mould; it was really fun and exciting when we saw the result. It’s curious, due to we constantly do it on our computers and without giving any value at all. The manual process makes you think about what you really want to show or to say. I completely understand that this can be Jesus’ passion. It was great!! You have ti try it making a workshop at his studio!

Jesús, since you first started to compile all the requested material for letterpress printing (printing by mobile terminal wooden and lead types), how has your life changed?
Undoubtedly my job at BunkerType has ended up displacing my professional projection, so now I must reconcile my work as a professor in all the schools I teach, with the huge amount of devoted hours needed to make this project work. This is translated into having less time for me and my family. However, the remarkable pleasure of being working in something I love and keeping on discovering new stuff day by day is a huge reward for me. Learning is something awesome that we usually stop doing when we reach a determined spot in our lives, almost without realising it. And suddenly, something catches your attention and you desire it to never stop. On the other hand, my work at Bunker has gave me the chance of knowing lots of interesting people with whom I share passion, emotions and work. A real luxury, indeed!

How has your learning process been, the reach of materials and info about each typography? It must have been such an extensive process…
The fact is that I’ve never thought about it as a process, mainly because during the first years I was just learning without any prefixed goal. I gradually discovered, by asking as much as I could and searching among the net. It was a really slow process, but also very satisfying one. Sometimes I spent weeks on finding out something which was quite easy, but I had no rush: I just enjoyed the process. Years came by and I realised that I wasn’t doing it so bad…

Other matter was about acquiring the material. At the beginning, I only had a few families of wooden block letters and nothing else. I thought it was enough added to an old restored letterpress I got, however, the amount of blocks requested to a proper start with is impressive and I must admit that really made me impatient to it. Besides, I had no idea about what was essential, so instead of going to old print shops without knowing what to ask for, I started buying the stuff online, basically from U.S.A. And United Kingdom. Little by little I learnt about the stuff and got through my initial shame. I began to identify old print shops where I could still find unused typographical stuff which I kept adding to my current personal collection (around 150 family lead letter block groups and 50 wooden ones), so as the huge amount of blank spaces needed by assembly, printmaking… In fact, this is a never-ending process: every time I can afford it, I keep buying interesting new stuff.

Each of your series I’ve seen, show a huge background and a remarkable poetic story, your designs are your own thinking, is there any of these personal thoughts that has result too difficult to be understood?
there any of these personal thoughts that has result too difficult to be understood?
Not everyone understands compositions and drawings – nor do I think it’s necessary – but my professional (de)formation as a designer forces me to always have something to tell, so that’s why I need that background you mentioned before: without having nothing to transmit I’m not able to move a finger. Thus, – and in a different way from an usual graphic design process – I don’t longer care about the receptor, or if the message is going to be clear or not. I just try to motivate my participations and to let the typographical elements to be the main characters. That is precisely why I always fulfil my pieces with some texts at my BunkerType website that contextualise and explain them, both as regards conceptual point of view and as technical and executive one.

Does Bunker from BunkerType come from your fist workspace?
BunkerType was born in 2009, although at that time it didn’t have or need any name. At the beginning it was only a small storage-room, no bigger than 8m2. I gradually acquired typographical blocks and a small manual Boston, which I didn’t even know where to place. Thanks to my faithful neighbour who gave me the opportunity of demolishing his dividing wall, I joint two storage-rooms and doubled my business: nothing less than 18m2! As you might know, that was a real luxury for me, but being realistic, it still was a small hole deep underground. When I decided I was ready to show my work, I had to baptise my workshop and without hesitations I used “Bunker” as an old friend used to warmly call my invention.

Nowadays I have a 70m2 space at the same building, but the appearance still reminds to the first Bunker. Its spirit still remains too so the name kept unchangeable: let’s say that it is still a Bunker underground, but bigger and way more comfortable….

Which letter has a deeper meaning to you?
Some letters, especially in some wooden letter blocks, have characteristics that make them special, due to its atypical modulation, its spatial features or the absence of optical corrections present in any current alphabet, but beyond that I don’t have any special predilection to any in particular. Although, if it’s any consolation, I always looked for “a” box in order to know how a letter family looks like.

Why there is always something orange on your prints?
The truth is that there’s nothing premeditated although you might be right. In the past, texts were always printed in black, leaving red colour as a secondary ink for initials or notes, it’s probably part of my DNA; I work with really simple elements and concepts, in that sense I think that my colour palette could end up being rather skinny.

At the office we use Abel typo, any history behind it?
There’re thousands of typographies! No, I don’t have any extra information related to that font, although I recommend you to carefully observe to letter “g” on a big enough body: it’s worth looking!

You run workshops at your letterpress workspace, do people get hooked and continue with their training?
I don’t plan the workshops as a training element faced to printing profession. When I was young I worked in a print shop and I learnt about its difficulties. The operators at that print shop started learning about the business since their young beginnings, promoting from 5th grade trainees to 4th, 3rd,… until reaching the category of Officer, in which they must had to promote until 1st Officer. When someone intends me to explain about printing profession, I always talk about this story.

On the other hand, what I do try to transmit through the workshops is the amazing feeling of physically working with letter blocks, in a tangible manner. There are so many different concepts, origins or conventions, used on typography – and logically applied to digital typography too (the one used by our computers) – which are way more comprehensive and logic explained by the traditional system. You’ll only need to place an “S” from any wooden alphabet inside a typographical form: first of all, you’ll realise that it’s a reversible piece and you might ask yourself if placing it in one direction or in other really matters. After that, as you print it, you’ll probably observe that something is not properly working and you’ll try by turning the letter block up and down, showing the complex system of corrections and visual compensations used in graphically building each letter block (in this case, a light elevation over the central axe which divides the letter and compensates the visual weight of the superior body over the inferior one). Another even easiest experiment: pick a geometrical alphabet whose “O” letter has a circular shape (for example, Futura font) and compare two letter blocks that contain both “O” letters. If you keep turning these two blocks and confront them, you will find out that the block which contains them is not a perfect square. This characteristic – which might well be unnoticed in the digital system – is strongly shown in the mobile system and allow us to understand how optical corrections are needed to show circular elements (as a paradox, in order to show a circle as it is, we must do a slight width decrease). Finally, something as simple as the size: we all know that a typographical body is measured in points, but… what is a point? What does it mean that a letter is 36pt height? Which is the measurable distance on a letter? All these answers unknown by a majority of designers, might be explained just by holding one lead type… In brief, I’ll never end…

What the most attractive aspect for those who attend your workshops? And about you, to give them?
Actually, both workshops and online shop, arose for making BunkerType self-sufficient: the idea was adding new material from the workshops and the purchase of online sales, although I’m afraid that my impatience and eagerness were stronger. Anyway, workshops are other way of sharing my activity down in the Bunker and knowing interesting and very grateful people. Mainly designers, professionals or students, artists and people who are keen on the field, join the workshop in order to find out more about something that they barely know before, just by reading on books. The fact is that they build a nice and warm work atmosphere and when they are absorbed on the work it’s hardly impossible to throw them out! Something that I’ve learnt through all these years is that we tend to be so used on working on the results rather than on the process that when this order is inverted, we lose track of time. This is a very satisfying feeling.

What would you say to encourage people to sign up for a letterpress printing workshop using lead and wood mobile typos?
Sorry about saying this so sincerely, but if someone needs any external motivation to attend any of these workshops; I rather say they should stay at home…

It will continue… and we’ll show you the mini workshop we attended to!!

Let’s meet him!!!

Mike, how did you realize that you wanted to dedicate your life to illustration?
I like to believe that I did not choose illustration, it chose me. I started off as a painter in a Fine Arts program but soon realized that most of the contemporary work I was inspired by was created by illustrators. It was only natural to make the move to illustration and I haven’t looked back since.

Did you work as a trainee before starting your own drawings?
I attended OCAD, University in Toronto, Canada, where I began with drawing and painting then switched over to Illustration. This is where I experimented with mixed media and found a natural workflow in producing digital art. I continue to explore the relationships between traditional and digital artwork.

Did you decide to begin your work on your own or did you just begin making drawings?
I kind of fell into art. As I said before, I think it chose me. I was always a creative kid, drawing a lot, but did not take it seriously until the end of High School. I was questioning a lot of things then, as teenagers often do, and decided that if I were to strive to be anything in this world, I would want it to be on my own terms and not someone else’s. So far this is where my journey has taken me. I couldn’t be happier.

How do you show your illustrations so people can order one?
My illustrations can be ordered by contacting me directly. I have been very busy and have not gotten around to creating an online shop. I also have some pieces available on Tiny Showcase.

What differentiates your illustration work from the one of others?
I think it is my strong sense of color and composition.

What is your goal in your work?
I want my work to truly convey an overall feeling when it is being viewed. I don’t just want the viewer to see and understand the visual message; I want them to feel it.

What is most challenging about your job?
Learning how to handle the slow months when I am not getting a lot of work. It’s about finding the balance to sustain a freelance career that can often be the most daunting.

Where do those metaphors come from, that you use in your work?
They come naturally, organically. Sometimes the ideas are immediate, but for me it usually takes a day or two to fully understand the direction I want to take an illustration. I like to believe I have a memory bank somewhere in my brain where I store all sorts of inspiration from my everyday life. I also write a lot of ideas down and make quick sketches when inspiration strikes. You never know when an old idea can be used for something new.

What would be your advice to someone with a “steady job” but with the aim of dedicating himself or herself to drawing?
Find what you like to draw. If you like to draw everything, then draw everything. If you like to draw monster trucks and wrestlers, then draw monster trucks and wrestlers. Look to other artists and designers who inspire you. Think about what makes their work interesting to you. Find that secret balance between learning from the world around you and the world you create inside your mind.

Could you imagine yourself today ten years ago?
I have exceeded my expectations of where and who I thought I would be when I was a teenager.
I always thought I wouldn’t amount to much, haha….

How did you start to become known for your work?
Once I stopped worrying what I thought others would like me to create and started making the things I had always wanted to make. When you find your passion people start to pay attention.

How has internet changed the world of illustration?
Illustration, like most forms of art these days, has become a disposable medium. I can scroll through a Tumblr feed for a half hour and consume 10,000 images. This can be seen as either good or bad.

What do you think makes an illustration successful?
The 3 C’s: Concept, Composition, and Color.

How long does it take you to create an illustration?
It really depends on the scope of the project. Anywhere from 2 hours to 2 weeks.

Which of your past illustrations do you like the most?
I am particularly fond of my Room For Rent Series.
I was happy to finally express my love for interior design and architecture in an illustration series. I am currently working on adding new pieces to the series and would like to, one day, print a book of all the rooms.

What are your favorite websites and magazines?
I am a big fan of It’s Nice That, an art and design blog based in London, UK. Other sites for inspiration include 50watts, Designspiration, ffffound,and Printed Matter has a great site and their mailing list is second to none!

In terms of magazines, IdN, Toilet Paperand GOOD magazine, are all quite cool.

What would be your ideal project?
I would love to illustrate and design a series of book covers. I have also always wanted to collaborate with interior designers or architects on design projects.

What would you do different from when you started?
I would hope to not compare myself with others like I did when I first began. However I still feel this is a natural step in most artists’ careers. We look to those whose work we admire, only to look at our own work and feel discouraged. As they always say, there will always be someone better at what you do. We need to learn to accept things as they are and focus this energy inward to grow into the artists we are meant to become.

Which have been the worst moments of your professional life?
Having to go after clients for payment. Not having a proper contract and being taken advantage of. Having to work for a lot less money than my work is worth. These are issues that most freelancers starting out have to deal with. I think artists get taken advantage of more than they should; this is something that I hope changes within the industry.

PAST

I always drew
I grew up with my older brother; we enjoyed it very much
When I was little, I wanted to be a dolphin trainer (I won a children’s drawing contest concerning this theme)
I never saw myself in a work that didn’t involve human contact

PRESENT

Just now I enjoy the small things
My favorite pastime: friends
My work represents my knowledge (conscious and unconscious) acquired up to the moment (with possible mistakes, since it is in constant construction)
Working I feel “sparks” inside of me
I sit down at home and write
On a rainy day good movies
I can’t live without a paper and a pencil
I have always asked myself what is love (who doesn’t?)
I do not know how to sing
Everyday I like to have breakfast with my dog Arquímides on my knees
I wish I could travel as much as I would like
I am a great believer in life
A secret about me: ” I am gigantic” (I am 5’9”)
I would like to have a cat
A perfect day begins after a good dream
Art is a way of expression. As such, it involves an emitter and a recipient.
When I travel I take a notebook to use for the first time
I get bored without motivations (it rarely happens)

FUTURE

Someday I hope to live of my Art
I would like to be someone whose work is always tied to the arts
My next step is to continue creating
In ten years I will gather the seeds of ten previous years

PAST
We always …. smile as gratitude
As a child, we wanted to be… an actor a farmer and a hair dresser.
College was… heaven for some and hell for others….

PRESENT
We are… Wanda Barcelona
Right now… doing paper roses for Dior
Our favorite pastime… the 80´s?
Our work represents… our personal point of view
Working …dignifies the human being
On a rainy day … we work
we couldn’t live without… wandaing…
we wish we knew … more 3d studio max
Everyday we like… good music in the studio
We love … thanks it.. we love.
We are a big believer … in Melissa (our Yoga instrutor)
A little known secret about us… We are sexy shit !!!
A perfect day …ends in a terrace with friends and beers
If you’re going to travel to… Colombia… tell us before you go !!!
We get bored … do we? ?

FUTURE
Someday we hope… to have a house by the beach, in the middle of the mountains and in the alps.
We’d like to be … thin until we are old;)
Our next step is … surviving summer…
In 10 years … we´ll be 35;) …. LOL!

Noelia, you work alone, read alone, think alone, write alone, store alone… you are in your own bubble. How do you deal with being “different” in today’s world?
Yes. Nevertheless, I also enjoy it very much. Certain prejudices exist concerning the “suffering”. As if this one was a sign of weakness. On the other hand, in my case, it has always been a sign of strength. Since I was little, I’ve been distinguishing what I like to do with what is easy for me to do. I chose the difficult route I believe. It is true, I like Art, in all of its domains as well as others (writing, philosophy, plastic art, photography…), I believe that I have some innate skills. Nevertheless, for me, it has always been a challenge. And as any challenge, it carries a risk. You win some, you lose some. I have predilections (mentioning Milan Kundera, one of my writers “fetishes”, in his book “The Unbearable Lightness of Being”) ; you can’t be afraid of something until you have lived it. I conceive Art as a game. Therefore, in this one itself, one bets his cards. Based on the knowledge that one acquires during his life, with the time and the experience, I suppose that one will also make better strategies. The happiness of winning is comparable to the distress of feeling lost. Both, they are necessary for me to create. So yes, I suffer very much. And simultaneously, because of it, I win very much.

You have always drawn on paper, have you ever thought of using a different support?
I would like to apply my work into textiles. Part of my work mixes sewing threads with other technologies. However, I have no training in pattern design. In a near future, I would like to adapt my plastic work to the textile one, generating a new piece with a design that is between the material of the “product” and the drawing of the “product”, for example. To create a new artistic piece in which textile and plastic elements talk between them in a new language. Not only concerning fashion, but also in interior design: sofas, armchairs, curtains, etc. This is a long-term project; I would like to investigate with other materials such as ceramics and paper (I love the stamped wallpaper).

I think I understand your concept of “fueguito” (little fire), but I would like to know which methodology stipulated your university teacher on it….
When Jesus Larrañaga (Faculty of Fine arts, Universidad Complutense in Madrid) understood what my concept “fueguito” meant; he created a special methodology for my work. “Fueguito” is as a kind of disorder, of desperation for feeling when an experience has stirred up senses, butterflies in your stomach, as if there is a flame burning inside of you. A “methodology” was not fitting for it. To a certain extent, all which is relative to the method, I have under control in a context of order. The “fueguito” appeared always with surprise. Without any order or control. But in the end, have I managed to find a control in its result? Have I found utility with the ashes left? Was it that or the moment in which the “fueguito” was diminishing that I found the necessary mental peace to fit the feelings and to materialize them in plastic work? The “fueguito” was my muse.

Why do you question the meaning of “fueguito” and not fire? I would like you to explain it because I am sure that a lot of people will identify themselves with it…
Because “fueguito” has so much of analysis, philosophy and maturity (concepts relative to the ” world of the adults “) and yet an infantile naiveté.
I think that any knowledge is born from certain sense of faith and is constructed from a corroborated experience.
I am conscious that semantically, the term “fueguito” can evoke irony. The diminutive “fuegito” (little fire) of “fuego” (fire) takes on implicitly the infantile nature of it, that can enclose the drippy, anachronistic, romantic ideal. Nevertheless, I am interested in the first impression of jeer over something so simple. The faculty of double reading implies time. And the time, for me, is the most valuable thing we have. It is the only one naturally acquired by the fact of being alive. It does not attend to racial, political discriminations or of any radical nature. It is not even subordinated to any context foreign to ourselves. It is the exchange value for everyone, the man’s natural currency (because to be able to establish it as a value, you have to be conscious of it) I seek to give this value to “fueguito”. To achieve it’s comprehension from a second reading. To move away from the prejudice, to go farther, to its essence, which is reduced to something as simple as the sensation of being alive.

Chavela Vargas said: ” At the end, the sadness is the slow death of the simple things (…) and to the simple things the time devours them”. “Fueguito” is as simple as the tenderness of childhood. This does that with the years; the importance it takes on in our daily lives devours the simplicity of time. And it is because “fueguito” speaks about life, about empathy and about home. Probably I want to say love, understood as an embrace, refuge in other one, and haven of peace.

In your work “the call of the flames”, you make a plastic reinterpretation of the poems of Rocio Martinez, what do you both think of the result? Have you gone through some difficult phases in this collaboration?
“The call of the flames” is a project under construction. Nevertheless, the desire to begin it goes some years back. The most difficult thing was to dive in and show the work of each one of us connected with the other. Or what is the same thing, the special synchrony that was reciprocal. For me to read her poetry was to reveal myself.

Rocio: “The only thing that is complicated is to coincide with the times, it is a project that advances slowly but does not stop growing. The idea arose from Noelia and it seemed so nice to me that I encouraged myself to overcome my vanity and to dive into the swimming pool. We have no difficulties because we give ourselves total liberty; Noelia and I share, thankfully or unfortunately, a way of feeling and it is something very unusual to find someone who shares your sensations; each one of us sees a mirror in what other does, with her drawings I feel understood, they help me to understand certain things and in them I find the consolation of the company. That is why we do not feel limited by the work of the other (myself at the moment of writing and her at the moment of painting) we know that we try to say the same thing; to get rid of the same things, and that is more than enough.”

You get undress in your work, showing yourself, isn’t it hard sometimes? Especially when the time goes by and you look back…
It is not hard. But it is an exercise of courage. It carries more satisfaction than anything else. The hard part is at the moment when you decide to show.

What differentiates your work from other artists’ work?
I believe that I cannot answer this question myself. The essential part of Art is the need of a spectator. The recipient of my work must be the one who has to stipulate it. In any case, here we all are human. I suppose that there will be some artists with whom i will never coincide in any aspect and with others, yes.

What does it mean to be a “visual artist “?
Someone who generates an evocative work of the visual aspect, the image as such. I suppose that for this, the motive force of the creation must be the perception of your own vision.

Some characteristic or special quality that you believe an artist must have?
I believe that taking part in the fact of creating something, an artist must be someone in constant thought throughout his life. A thinker. A feeler. And even a philosopher. Conditioned to the need of generating a work, based on his personal evolution, related to a visual aspect. I do not understand those artists who do not have a different work along their creative life. If you do the same thing during your whole life, in my opinion, you are a craftsman.

Do you have any other projects that you would love to develop?
My desire is to publish a book with my statements and writings assembled with my visual work. You can find some examples of this idea on my blog.

An artist with whom you would like to collaborate?
Someone with whom I can have an aesthetic and personal empathy, beyond the work context. I admire the work of some artists, but that I cannot understand from my own point of view.

How did you start to show your work? To participate in exhibitions, to show up in magazines ….
Working a lot and having confidence when meeting people. Confidence was key when I dared show my work.

Is there a piece in your work that you could say represents you the best?
My first piece of work. It is part of my artist’s portfolio. It was in 2009. An abstract painting of mixed technique. A self-portrait “Cenizo”

What is the most difficult thing in your work? And what do you like the most?
I have a love/hate relationship with social networks.

What I like the most, is not knowing which artistic practice I prefer. This it is the Art’s game. Who does not like to play?

With your relation to the art world, what have you learned? And what has surprised you?
I have learned that “emotional intelligence” is key in the current art market. This has made me evolve but has also surprised me and even sometimes frustrated me.

How would you like to see yourself in 20 years?
As an artist with a job related to this (inside the cultural, creative and literary area).

What is the most surprising or the nicest thing that someone has told you about your work?
When someone decides to buy your work, to take it to his world, his routine; the work itself acquires a new dimension. I always say that my work is based on small parts of me. That is why I feel a sort of liberation when I make an art work. If this liberated portion of me follows its own path; in some way, there is something of myself that explores new unexpected places. It is a pleasure that someone can give me this luxury.

How did everything begin? How did you see yourself doing this type of art?
I love paper because it is so delicate. It speaks to me of impermanence. We have been using paper as a vehicle for communication, in one way or another, for centuries. I made paintings in the past but I never found my voice as a painter. Whenever I would get stuck in my creative process I would make collages to loosen myself up. Around that time I was working for a documentary filmmaker. Inspired by his films I started to explore different ways of telling stories in my own artwork. The combination of collages and personal storytelling opened me up to start making the kind of work I make today..

You create Art with words, what do the words signify in your work and life?
My re-creation of letters and words is an extended investigation on peoples’ inner lives and the way they express their thoughts through writing. A letter is a physical confirmation of whom we are and how we feel at the moment it is written, and is sometimes all we have left of a person or a certain time period.

What is the process for each piece? What do you start by doing?
I start out with a drawing or with meticulously recreated notes and letters that I have found, written, or received. I then enlarge the documents onto a new piece of paper and intricately dissect the negative spaces with an x-acto knife. The handwriting and the lines support the structure of the cut paper, keeping it strong and sculptural, despite its apparent fragility. I use around 100 x-acto blades a day.

Do you use real texts?
When I use letters as the base of my work, they are always copies of real letters. I have a huge collection of mail – my own letters that I have kept throughout my life as well as those of unknown others. I have hundreds of postcards collected from garage sales, flea markets, and EBay. I have letters from a salesman writing home to his family as he drives around the US selling seeds. I have a packet of over 20 love letters from a soldier named Bernard to his “darling wife” during WW2 and a stack of letters to “Mom and Dad Holt” sent from Sergeant Bill in Saigon during the Vietnam War. Reading over all of the letters, including the ones written to me is haunting. It is like reviewing the leftovers of people, including myself. Collectively the letters remind me of mistakes, longing, love and loss. To me the letters are both positive and negative memorials. I copy the handwriting, and the spelling.

It is a work which requires a lot of patience, how do you get it done?
I am a restless person, and in every other area of my life I am not a particularly patient person. That said I love the slow process of my paper cuts. I listen to audio books and drink coffee as my dog lays at my feet while I work. It is wonderfully relaxing.

In your work, you create a “spatial” drawing, are you more concerned with the text or the 3D quality of it?
Both. I love the appearance of words, and language. In the penmanship, word choice, and spelling the author is often revealed in spite of him/herself. I am very interested in the hand, and mark making. Handwriting and letters are one aspect of that, drawing and doodles are another. The stories and concept are also deeply important to me even though the pieces themselves can be very hard to read. I think of these pieces as sculptures. I hang each piece on the tip of pins so that they appear to float 3 inches away from the wall. This allows for a shadow to cast down the back of the wall. Without the 3 dimensional aspect, my work loses its light and delicate nature.

With each piece being unique, do you mark them in any way?
Each piece I make is unique. I do not mark them in anyway. I have records and photographs of each piece but nothing beyond that. Maybe I should start.

What about money? Do you always succeed in making it work or is it something that is not so important to you right now?
I would really like to be able to charge more for my work right now. I do sell most of my art, but for the amount of time it takes me to produce a piece, I do not make nearly enough money. I am slowly raising my prices. I have been told that I need to get an assistant to help me make the pieces so that I can produce more work, but I am not interested in doing that. It is very difficult to make money as an artist. I don’t like to worry about it too much because it can affect my artwork in a negative way.

Which would be your ideal project?
I would love to be given the freedom to do anything I want in a big room of a Gallery or museum in Paris, London, New York, or Berlin. Ideally I would have a year to plan and work for this show. That sounds FUN.

What is the most difficult thing in your work?
I have a lot of self-doubt. I am my biggest obstacle – I don’t think I am smart enough or good enough…blah, blah… So whenever I get rejected from something (which is often) it is confirmation of all my personal insecurities. Sometimes I feel like my work isn’t conceptual enough, but my hope is that the source material and the visual aesthetics draw people in enough to take time with the work and discover that there’s complexity and meaning that might not be as readily present. I do my very best to ignore the negative voices inside my head. Otherwise I’ll give up. I try and remind myself that there are so many different art worlds, and art touches everyone in such different ways. It’s such a challenge; one I know I am not alone in experiencing. The other thing is that there’s really no map that guides artists on how to navigate through the many art worlds. We just sort of have to wing it and follow people we admire. Art school taught me nothing about how to be a working artist.

Which one has been your biggest success?
I am not sure I have had one big success. I have been doing fairly well showing and selling my art for the past few years. I have gotten some very nice reviews in different publications, I have had some shows I am proud of. I was accepted into a prestigious residency (after being rejected from many) combining all of this together feels like a success. I have not reached many of my goals and that can be discouraging. But I am going to keep making art for as long as I can, so hopefully I will have a lot more time to reach those goals.

What is next now? Other projects in mind?
I have an artist collaboration with Hannah Ireland entitled Double Zero. We have an interdisciplinary collaboration that builds on our friendship of over twenty years and investigates how identity is shaped in relation to those closest to us, the boundaries and connections between individuals, and different modes of taking up space in the world. We primarily make sculptures and videos. It is vastly different from my own cut paper work, but I find it so liberating and fun. We just returned from a 2 month residency at the Montalvo Center For The Arts. Our work is getting some traction, and we are starting to be very busy. I am very excited about the work we are doing together. You can see some of our videos here.

What is beauty for you?
Open landscapes where you can see for hundreds of miles, oceans, the Crazy Mountains in Montana, the desert horizon in New Mexico, lightning storms, The Lightning Fields in New Mexico, Paul Klee’s drawings, Josef Albers’ color theory prints, Enrique Martínez Celaya’s project entitled The Pearl, The sound of wind, Beethoven, Bob Dylan, My dog Moses, my husband Scott. Eating sandwiches on a hike, drinking wine in Italy, eating almost anything in Italy, the landscapes in Italy, photographs of the earth, photographs of the moon, forgiveness, and other beautiful things that sound corny when I talk about them.

What advice would you give to someone who is trying to become an artist professionally??
Take chances in your art and have fun
Don’t worry about what other people think of you
Have a good network of peers
Use social networks to your advantage
Trust yourself
Find a mentor that you trust
Apply to grants/residencies/public projects
Reach out to people you admire
Don’t worry about being “well rounded”
Keep going

How did you start making these types of temporary installations? Did you see it clearly to dedicate your work to manual origami?
It all started by chance… In a bar over a beer… a girl was looking for someone to make origami for the opening of MUJI and found me in a bar at 3 in the morning;). It is easy to find the opportunity… it is difficult to make it well and to remain well known. We never had it clear, in fact at first, we didn’t want to be pigeonholed as origami people… but little by little we found that origami was only a micro universe of a vaster one without boarders…. The world of paper. It was when we discovered this that we decided to specialise in this noble and beautiful material.

Did you know where you wanted and could get to? Have you come much further than you imagined?
As creative birth… I suppose our dream since university is to live by making what we are passionate about, creating non stop, we said that it was where we wanted to and could get … to risk everything (well what little we had) and make a studio in a time of crisis… It was not easy, but we didn’t have a point of reference of “good times” so we assumed it was normal and never stopped believing.
We got to where we wanted… to live off our creativity, making things that we like and creating non stop.

How does the idea come up for each exhibition? Is it heavily based on the client’s idea or do you convince them of an idea once you have seen the space?
Each project is different, sometimes we design everything from the concept to the final details, and in some cases the client comes to us with a vision in their head and we give them the form. We move in a very corporate world, which means that there are many brand values, colours and markings that sometimes complement the design.

The site is fundamental, for each project we try to personally see the space… Of course when you cannot… a good 3d and voila!

Did you have a learning process for this type of installations from the start? Was it hard?
It is pure “trial and error” we learn from our mistakes, none learned to make this at university. Everything is little by little and comes from our pervious experiences… We have certain laws that help us in all designs, for example: Better to over structure than destroy… we usually respond to our doubts with this type of law and so we heal them.

Do you have a team that do all the manual work?
We are lucky to be in a group of excellent suppliers. We are a small group surviving in a world of titans… we have to stay together and support ourselves if we don’t want to disappear. As for the manual work, we do everything at home. We always have a scholarship that help us in everything and when things are blown out of proportion we have a freelance team who help us with everything that is necessary.

Eight years ago, could you imagine yourself doing what you do today?
Not for a moment…

What is the creative process from the moment you have an idea to the day the project is launched?
We always participate in a close communication with the client to avoid wasting time and going to the wrong direction… many briefings of general ideas, colour palettes and intentions until it takes us to 100% satisfy for both the client and ourselves. Once at that point, we start the design process, the true form only comes once the path has been studied.

What do you do with the installation once the exhibition is finished?
We photograph it and recycle it.

Can you make a living from it?
Maybe not from it… you can make a living from selling it.

Have you thought about selling smaller products like this poster and not only at exhibitions?
We are in a country that sells to China, and what we all think is that it is not possible to compete with China. We already had two lamps, The Lotto Lamp and the Brunna Lamp, in our investigation, both turned out to be very expensive to produce locally so the solution would be to produce them in China. And Wanda Barcelona DO NOT produce in China. It is against the philosophy of our studio.

We believe that this is what is slowly bleeding out Spain, and even worse it is causing creative minds to migrate and give their talent to other counties, leaving Spain full of mediocre designers and hundreds of Chinese products round every corner. In our opinion, it is these small gestures that make the designer regain their status today, and it is completely undervalued.

What is the installation that you enjoyed making the most?
All of them are like our children… and we gave birth to them all and so they are loved. However, we can highlight FANtástico… working with the Ministry of Foreign Buildings representing Spain in New York design week was quiet rewarding for two Colombians.

What have been the worst and the best moments of your professional life up until now?
The worst… to have to live month my month for more than 4 years…. and the best… all the months of making nice things!

What would be the perfect project you would like to make?
One without the word “budget” around it.

Is there anything you would not do again professionally?
Work for free, we do not agree with it, we do not encourage it and we do not do it. We believe that it devalues our profession.

Is there anything you would repeat even though it has been a crazy thing, only for the experience?
Restart the process.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to pursue this?
If you are already sure that this is what you want to dedicate to… you already have 80% of your work done…. Pursuing it is not difficult, what is hard is knowing what you want. Never give up and above all do not be timid, be bold (if you have lots of talent) and know how to sell yourself… Otherwise it will be to no avail.

It is difficult not to smile when talking with illustrator Antonio Uve, because he is super friendly, gratifying and was always checking that we were ok and having a good breakfast in Verbena, a bar that he recommended to us in Madrid which was very nice.

We went to see Antonio’s work in Madrid, but now he will already be living in Amsterdam, where he was about to move when we saw him, to dedicate himself exclusively to what he really likes, illustration. His drawings must be analysed, as they express many things.

He is now involved with Atelier des Jeunes, where he has a sale of a several of his illustrations that you see here

and is also participating in the design of a t-shirt collection organised by Atelier des Jeunes.

Antonio conveys to us his enthusiasm for doing what you love and conveys many things through his drawings, you have to experience them to see what it is that is expressed through them.
We leave you with Antonio’s interview!

Antonio, we like your illustrations and want to know more things about you and your work! You combine your work as a director of art in a public agency and your personal work in illustration.?
I often say that I am a director of art by day and an illustrator by night. Nowadays, I dedicate more time to illustration than art direction, but there are stages in which it is difficult to combine the two things. Although, well, its all organised. The truth is I love illustration because it relaxes me and it makes me happy, I always try to make time to do it.

What is the process that you make the illustrations, design by hand, and later work on the computer or work directly on the computer?
I always start drawing by hand and while I do, I come up with ideas that allow me to make a first draft. After I sit in front of the computer and search for reference images, colours, compositions… and when I believe I have everything well assimilated, I can work on the illustration.

What would you not do now that you did when you started?
Although it is something that I have been doing almost since I was a boy, I think I am still beginning. It’s the only thing that has changed in my mind is that now I think about illustration more as a profession, than a hobby.

Could you have imagined this 10 years ago?
No, definitely not. 10 years ago I was starting advertising and public relations and I did not know where to focus my professional life. I suppose I knew to choose things that I like more and that is why I am doing what I am doing now.

Who do you design for? Do you imagine the final client?
I try to design for me, although I always have the client in my mind because, more or less, you can make an idea that they will like or not. Normally I give a lot of thought to my works and that is why I believe that I am very self critical. The truth is I am the worst client.

How has the internet changed the world of illustration?
The internet is a source of inspiration, thanks to the internet we are bombarded with images everyday that in one form or another influence us, and all these influences are seen in each illustration.

How does this benefit your work?
It is a great platform when you need to become known, because if you aren’t online you don’t exist. I started uploading my illustrations to Instagram, without much thought, it amused me and it suddenly without awareness, I was self-promoting.
Now through Atelier des Jeunes other opportunities arise, with the work that they have.

What do you think makes an illustration successful?
I wish I knew. I believe the important thing is to do things with care and dedication. You have to have fun with what you do and enjoy each one of your works, so if you don’t achieve the success you expected, at least you had a good time making them.

Which illustration has been your greatest success?
A couple of years ago, I made an illustration of a verse of a song, “La cara noroeste” by McEnroe which said: “it’s a strange way to live to be thinking always of you” I put it on my Tumblr and today, it has more than 6000 comments and continues being shared, they have even written to ask me if it was on sale.

How much time does it take to create an illustration?
There have been illustrations that have taken me weeks or months and others that I finished in one day. I like to take my time and to make things calmly with care, although its always dependant on the time you have been given to finish, and the mood you are in.

How do your ideas come up? What are your sources of inspiration?
My sources of inspiration are my friends, my family, the city that I live in, music, Instagram, my travels, my neighbours, conversations I hear at the gym… I have a younger sister who is 12 years old and she inspires me a lot, her way of seeing the world amuses me and I try to learn from her, in fact I like to share what I do with her, she is always the most sincere: if she doesn’t like it she tells me point-blank.

TWhat are your favourite webs and journals?
My favourite webs are:

http://apeonthemoon.com/

http://bldgwlf.com/

http://jenesaispop.com/

http://www.nfgraphics.com/

http://www.itsnicethat.com/

journals:

http://www.wrapmagazine.com/

http://www.eightmagazine.nl/

http://www.mondosonoro.com/

Can you make a living from your illustrations?
It is very difficult, particularly in Spain. I have the feeling that this profession is not valued much, even though we are supposed to be living in a time when creativity/handmade goods are becoming more appreciated. However, there are many clients that ask you for drawings as if they were easily done in half an hour. Even so, I think it is possible to make a living from this, but it is necessary to stay active and to know how to do active searches. I hope to earn money from illustration someday, but right now I am just trying to survive.

Which would be your ideal project?
Any project where the client gives me total freedom for doing whatever I want, without suggestions, external opinions, doubts, final changes,…

Tell us about your regular day at work.
I have a coffee while I’m surfing some design, advertising and illustration blogs and listening to the radio. Later on, I start working on a drawing and when it is almost finished, I let it stand for a while. I try to clear my ideas up, go for a walk, and having switched off, I open the file again, continue with it in order to finish it, change some things, add details.. The best of all is that my working days are hardly ever the same.

Which have been the best and worst aspects of your professional life?
The toughest aspect is organising my timetable by myself and what I like the most is the fact that my work is more like a hobby from which I am starting to make a living.

What is your dream for the future?
Being able to professionally dedicate to illustration completely. I would love to have a nice co-working space where I could go everyday, working by sharing my job with my lifelong friends with whom I share the way of living.

Any advice for someone who has just started?
In fact I am stating as well and besides, I am not very good at giving advice. However, I will say that believing in someone’s work and standing up for oneself make things go smoothly.

Antonio will tell us about how is everything going in Amsterdam, but for now, he is already part of our mood board….

This week I will like to introduce you to Anna Leymergie, a French interior designer, very young but with a lot of energy that you could see through her lamps.

Do you fabricate by your own your two designs, the lamp L and OE?

Yes I do fabricate my creations on my own.

If you do, where did you learn it? Do you have an studio where you have space to do it?

During my studies of interior design, I have always preferred making models than doing 3D rendering on computer. I must feel more comfortable with something concrete than virtual. From then, I started purchasing tools and engines and little by little I was able to create objects and furniture on my own. I don’t have a studio yet; I keep installing an ephemeral atelier in my parent’s garden… But I fully intend to built one soon.

How do you define your work?

For the moment, it is hand-crafted. I think it arouses curiosity – at least I try to surprise.

My intention is to make what surrounds us alive, with poetry and lightness.

How did you begin? Was it hard?

It is a slowly beginning. I am not completely launched yet. I still have a full time job that I love at Patrick Jouin studio in Paris.

With friends we founded a design collective named Les Cadets, with which we participate to major design events in Paris such as the D’ days or the Design Week.

The hardest is find time to do all of this, making my objects, working on new projects on my own or with the collective.

Have you ever discouraged?

No. There is so much to do. So many challenges for the Design industry. Design means so many things today, even the border between design and art is blurred.

In France, a lot of design furnishing companies appears. As I am not afraid for the future of the Design, I shouldn’t discourage.

Which would be your ideal project?

Michel Gondry or Tim Burton giving me carte blanche for the design production of one of their movie.

How your ideas come up? Which ones are your sources of inspiration? Are you influenced by anyone?

I have the “Tumblr syndrome”. I keep collecting pictures that I check regularly.

I guess ideas come naturally. Unconsciously we classify information that we think interesting then we set it down on paper.

I look for inspirations in every field. Let’s say I am passionate for former times tools like kitchen utensil or instruments.

I am inspired by living artists/designers such as Tokujin Yoshioka and Olafur Eliasson.

Which materials are you interested on? Does ir have anything to do with it, the effect of the light over them?

I am pretty attached to the past so I am naturally interested by dated techniques or old fashioned materials such as rattan.

Which ones have been the best and the worst moments of your professional life?

I think I will need more experience to answer that question.

Have you ever had a mentor that has supported and guided you?

I would say my master of diploma, Jean Lelay, who led me to give a meaning to what I do, who pushed me to avoid gratuitousness.

He is a remarkable engineer and a great instructor.

Which is the best advice that you have received? And the advice that you will give to?

Practice make perfect. And I will stick to it.

What is beauty for you?

Anything that feels right, true.

Which is what you like more from your work?

The fact that each day is different. Right now I pass most of the time on a computer but I know that one day I will finally get free of that terrible screen.

It gives you the opportunity to travel, discover new techniques from abroad.

We are always exposed to difficulties and constrains that give new challenges.

We get to meet people/artisans with amazing talents. We are surrounded by people who work with true passion, and each passion has its own language.

It’s a job that keeps you learning and discovering.

I am really impressed with Marian Bijlenga‘s work; she creates a very attractive 3d dimension, the object the wall and the effect of the light over both. It is a spatial drawing and you will learn a lot through everything she tells us about

You use different materials, but how you work with horsehair and fish scales? How do you treat them to be able to work with them?

When I studied textiles, I began by learning to weave, but for me, weaving was too slow. It took a lot of time before you could start, and I did not like the technique. I was looking for a more direct way of working. I took the threads held by the loom and began instead to make drawings, stiffening the fibre by dipping it in glue. It was a much freer technique. But glue and thread are not very durable, so I was looking for a material that was stiff on its own, and discovered the horsehair. The fibre provides the necessary strength and flexibility to construct embroidered compositions of lines and dots. And I found the fishscales by chance, at a fish leather factory. I was not actually searching for new materials, but they fit perfectly into the dot pieces I was making.

Did you learn it by yourself?

I studied at the textile design department of the Rietveld Art Academy in Amsterdam (1977-1982). But I developed the techniques myself.

Do you think about an idea, and draw a sketch and over it you chose materials, the geometry, the size, proportions? Or is a natural process?

My work is more like a natural process: it grows. For an outsider, the production may seem as painstaking as weaving, but it is the immediacy of the process that is important to me. I make one element and give it a place on my wall, and then I make another element, so the work grows until I like it. The work itself is meticulous, but I see the construction of each individual element as just the beginning. After I have the pattern pinned on my wall, then the real work starts. In the beginning, it is like playing. Then, finally, I use water-soluble fabric and make a drawing on it, so I know how to attach the pieces. Then I use monofilament to attach the small pieces to each other, and finally it all becomes one big piece. You only need some pins at the top of the piece to hang it on the wall. When seen with the right amount of natural light, the work seems to float just in front of the wall, defying gravity.

Which are your inspirations?

Much of my early work was inspired by calligraphy, but I explored the positive and negative, abstracted shapes created by calligraphic forms, instead of its narrative possibilities, It is very interesting when I cannot read the words — the rhythm of the writing, the space between the letters and the connections between the lines. It is still a source of inspiration, but my work has grown more abstract. Nature is more important than writing. Small circles, ovals and streaks grow into compositions that map positive and negative space.

I am fascinated by dots, lines and contours, by their rhythmical movements and the empty spaces they confine.

Link

There are some of your works in which each piece that takes part is different from the rest. How long can it take to create one of your works?

Sometimes I work on several pieces at the same time. I can make a piece in a day, or in a year. In time, I might cut up a piece I don’t like any more, and use the leftovers to start again.

You always draw in space, but only walls, what about ceiling or floor?

The shadow on a white wall is an essential part of my work. By leaving some space between my structure and the wall, the object is freed from its background and interacts with the white wall. I need the silence of a white wall.

What would be your ideal project?

I don’t think in terms of an ideal project for the future, but when I look back, the

“Palimpsest” series (2007) comes close. Palimpsest implies working over an older, existing surface. My work builds on the work of my mentor and colleague, Herman Scholten (b. 1932), who constructed irregularly shaped weavings by working with yarns and pins on his studio wall. I began working with the traces that had been left by the pins on that wall. It was a map of the contours of his wall hangings. I transferred thirty years of holes left by pins in his studio to my own studio. Then I followed the traces they had left by covering each of the pinholes with a unique dot of colour, eventually producing a series of 11 large pieces, which I see as a continuation of where Herman Scholten stopped working.

You work by your own, do you feel good working alone all day long?

Yes, I like working alone in my studio. My studio is in a former hospital complex, where 120 artists have had studios to work in since 1984. It was my first studio, and I am glad I have never had to move. It is a very social environment, and we grow together in this inspiring place.

How do you deal, as an artist, with the highs and lows?

I have learned that I can always expect a high after a low. I am not in search of it; it just happens.

What about the money? Do you always succeed in making it work or is it something that’s not so important to you?

I can live from selling my work. I do not teach or make works on commission. When I started out, I was fortunate to receive a working grant from the Dutch government, so I could put all my energy into developing my work. Since then I have been able to support myself.

What is the most difficult thing about your work?

To say what I do in words. I prefer to speak through images.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

My work is my life.

Which work has been your biggest success?

Red dots from 1999.

In 1999, the Red Dots won the Excellence Award at the 6e International Textile Competition in Kyoto, Japan. The prize included a trip to Japan. When the work returned to the Netherlands, it was purchased by the Amsterdam Stedelijk Museum. It was included in the exhibition that Queen Beatrix selected from the Stedelijk Museum collection in 2000.

What’s your dream project?

It is whatever I am working on at the moment.

What is beauty for you?

Traces, left by others. This could be holes in a wall, or punch holes in leather made at random by the use of a machine. It could be holes in leaves, eaten away by insects, or skid marks on the roadLink

An advice?

Be guided by what happens around you. Don’t try too hard to direct, plan, master everything. For me, it is more important to be led by what crosses your path, the accidental encounter, things that happen outside yourself.

The work Kirath Ghundoo does is exciting, surrounded by geometry and colors, the patterns she design attract me and also her color mixing. She will tell us about their work, their goals …

How do you define your work?

Challenging, bold, quirky and fun!

How did you begin? Was it hard? Have you ever discouraged?

I’ve always loved design from a being a child. Studied it through education. Setting up my company has been hard work, however worth the rewards decorating client’s spaces with my work.

Which would be your ideal project?

There are lots of different projects I would love to be involved within regarding commercial fit outs. I’d love to design a series of surface prints for car interiors like the Fiat 500.

How your ideas come up? Which ones are your sources of inspiration? Are you influenced by anyone?

Influenced by anything and everyone I encounter. Very much by fashion, architecture, colour plays an important part with my designs. I’ve just travelled back from India which will play an important part within my next collection.

Have you fabricate someway your designs? Or everything goes directly to the printer?

I design and then my wallpapers are manufactured in the UK with my printer.

Do colors mean something for you? Do you need color in your designs?

Colour is very important part of my work, they represent different times/places/moods and its important to get these right. I enjoy working with contrasts.

Why geometrical designs? Is a stage, and it will take you to nature prints?

I like clean cut, simple and angular and this comes out in a geometric form. Depending on inspiration I may explore other forms and designs.

Do you think to adapt your designs to be printed in fabric for clothes, even bedclothes?

I do design for other surfaces and always looking to take on new challenging projects.

Which ones have been the best and the worst moments of your professional life?

Best has to be my nomination for the ELLE Decoration British design awards 2012 – that was a big personal achievement. Hmmmmm worst?!…i’m not sure, but have days where balancing the jobs I have to do can get to much, that’s as bad as it gets though!

Have you ever had a mentor that has supported and guided you?

A wonderful mentor at university where I studied my MA, Sophia, she was a great support that year.

What is beauty for you?

Simple, clean, elegant and effortless.

Which is the best advice that you have received? And the advice that you will give?

Follow the yellow brick road!