The architecture in Chiara Calabrese’s illustrations
How did you get into the world of drawing/illustration? I have always loved to draw, I have cultivated this passion since I was a child. The earliest memories are definitely related to my mother, she also loved to paint in her spare time, and in fact she was the first one who introduced me to the world of drawing. I also took some extracurricular courses back in the day, but then this passion went into oblivion for many years until I later returned to university. Having studied interior design, in fact, it was almost a must to go back to using drawing tools, and that’s how my interest was reborn.
What kind of illustrator are you? I consider myself an observational and communicative artist who is inspired by everyday life. I capture the moment with photographs and I love to draw buildings (my obsession).
What artists have inspired you over the years? From Matisse, Schiele and Miró to Scandinavian folk art. I would then add Angela Mckay, Sara Boccaccini Meadow, Guido Scarabottolo and Carlo Stanga.
As mentioned in the title of the article, many architectural elements are often depicted in your illustrations; tell us about this passion! I like to include references to architecture in my illustrations, which I punctually twist and make more colorful and playful. I have never questioned myself more about the reasons, but it is just a type of illustration/style that I like to depict. Often when I’m on the street I pause to take pictures of buildings that strike me because I think I will definitely want to draw them at a later time (it happens a bit the same when I take pictures during a trip to leave me with a memory).
In this regard, we ask you: how much has Interior Designer enriched your illustrations? It has enriched me in many aspects: in the subjects for example! (Interior environments, buildings). It has helped me in research, inspiration, colors and their combinations.
Analog or digital? Pros and cons? I use both “methods” creating a mix between the two, although I feel more close to analog: I think it is a more direct way to communicate a concept, an idea. I find it easier to express one’s style and give meaning to a drawing through one’s gestures. Let’s think about watercolor painting, for example: just a few spots of color are enough to create unique, dreamy atmospheres. In any case, I think the choice of one method or another comes from how you feel and what you want to communicate.
Contacts: @chiaracalab__
