Isidro Ferrer is a Spanish designer? Illustrator? Sculptor? Certainly a joker. He is the man behind the clever posters of National Theater of Madrid, and many books to his name with illustrations constructed of branches, funnels, string, rulers and not sure what else – but all of it is pure creative genius. I can not insist that his work is completely without a precedent – Joan Brossa certainly had an influence here. To me however his work was completely original in contemporary context, and I have since seen many illustrators ‘borrow’ his visual style (I will not name names since this often happens in the creative world).

I came across his playful and intelligent illustrations/designs in a book at a library, and then explored everything I could get my hands on. My own work is never this conceptual, and so for me this was really a creative angle so different and just so good. It was like having one’s brain shaken up.

In 2012 I did a summer workshop with Isidro, it was pure non-sense, and really good fun that brought forth some absurd and creative results I would not have reached otherwise. As expected the man has a large personality, but I think an even bigger heart. For many years he ran a summer workshop for illustrators near Huesca in Spain, and makes appearances in festivals in Spain and around the world. …. I think I will let his work speak for itself.

And some books

** images are property of the artist