Well-known Spanish illustrator and designer Isidro Ferrer’s two art exhibitions, ‘Think With Your Hands’ and ‘Funny Farm,’ have opened in Tehran.
Ferrer, who was invited to the 4th ‘Silver Cypress’ biennial of the Iranian Graphic Designers Society (IGDS), underway simultaneously in Shiraz and Tehran, explained his works at the inauguration ceremony, which was also attended by IGDS head Ali Rashidi and members of its board of directors, ISNA reported.
His collection includes 80 graphic works displayed along with a photo-book of his designs. The book was unveiled and signed by Ferrer for his fans.
Beginning his speech with a poem, Ferrer explained his projects. “One of my works is a portrayal of animal characters; 16 years ago, when I was asked to design a logo for a lustre production company, I became interested in the material used. Combination of thin wood sheets and lighting created different qualities of light.”
Broad Exposure
He developed his ideas using different kinds of wood in the illustration of animal characters. Later his illustrations were printed on catalogues, lustre invitation cards and disk covers.
“The project became bigger and finally the company submitted the art works to the Milan Expo,” he said.
All the animal characters are introduced and packed with a catalogue, which tells a unique story about each item. “The ‘Atomic Ant’, for example, goes 10 steps to east and then 10 steps to west, the ‘Behemoth’ spends all night talking on the phone, cracking old jokes, or the ‘Mad Goat’ is always mad, and because he doesn’t know why, he gets madder!” he said.
Ferrer was surprised at the warm welcome he received from enthusiasts and said he feels “at home and am honored to be in Iran.”
His illustrations and animated graphic designs will be on view at Lajevardi Art Gallery and Niavaran Cultural Center until November 6.
Surrealistic Works
Ferrer, 53, is trained in drama. He was a stage actor in Madrid before starting his career in graphic art.
His works often use three-dimensional objects re-imagined and combined with traditional media to take on a new meaning. Textures play a significant role in his compositions and he is no stranger to surrealism.
As a graphic artist and illustrator, he has created posters, designed book covers, created sculptural objects and tile design. Images and everyday objects symbolize different meanings and take on exceptional importance in his works.
