Francesco Bongiorni (b.Milan 1984) confesses that when we contacted him for the first time and showed him the collection of covers that leading artists have made over the years for Garcia De Pou, he felt a little weak at the knees. Working on a project in which artists ‘of such calibre’ have participated, he says ‘has been an honour and a pleasure’. But the truth is that this Italian illustrator who now lives in Madrid already has a career on par with the greatest: Winner of many international prizes, including a gold medal from the New York Society of illustrators, he contributes regularly to The New York Times, The Guardian, Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and Le Monde. And he has become the latest illustrator to appear on the cover of the new Garcia de Pou Christmas catalogue 2024/25.
What inspires you most: A day full of activity or a moment of absolute stillness?
I would say that what inspires me is following my curiosity, which luckily pushes me in different directions. The sociologist Domenico De Masi developed the idea of creative idleness, a theory with which I identify, according to which one looks for a situation where the boundaries between work, study and play are blurred. This fusion generates what is called creative leisure, a situation in which you work without realising it.
Do you begin with an idea of a final work in your head or does the creative process take you through unexpected journeys?
Every time I start a job I have a clear idea of which direction I would like it to go, but there has never once been an occasion where I have managed to get there exactly.
Time lapse of the creative process of the cover
How do you confront the tasks that are given to you?
I have a database of images that I have been collecting for years. There are all kinds of images that for some reason have caught my attention and I have them stored in a folder in my computer. Paintings, photographs, comics, colour samples, engravings from antique books..
Before I begin a project, I like to take a quick look at these images for inspiration and I notice that I tend to especially look at images and environments that are completely different to what I need to represent.
Let’s talk about our Christmas Catalogue 2024/25
The work looks at telling a story. I like to present my characters in a way so that they ask questions to the spectator. Who are they? Do they live in the cabin behind them? Why are they wearing a mask and a party hat? These questions create curiosity in the observer and a sense of empathy. I do not look to generate answers in my work, only to ask questions.
Cover for the Garcia de Pou Christmas Catalogue 2024/25
What do you think sets your work apart?
More than drawing I like to tell a story through drawing. It is something different. One of the themes I enjoy paying attention to in my work is environment and place. I love when I am given the opportunity to evoke a place, its characteristics and particularities. For me dedicating time to studying a place, drawing it and understanding it is like going on a small journey. It is not surprising that over the years this has led me to collaborate on projects that require special attention to a specific place or environment. There is also great attention to detail in my work. This is something that in a certain sense goes against the grain of what many of my colleagues do, but this is also precisely what sets me apart.
Cover Illustration for the Garcia De Pou Catalogue 2024/25
Have you ever made any valuable mistakes in your career that have influenced your creative process?
This has happened many times. I am often invited to give a course, masterclasses or workshops, and in my classes I often include exercises, such as drawing with your eyes closed or some other kind of limitation. This always leads to extremely interesting results. There are two reasons for this: The first is that when we draw with our eyes shut or with some other obstacle, we are freed from the fear of making a mistake. Drawing without fear of judgement (our own judgement is always the most severe) is equivalent to taking risks and you can take advantage of a mistake or inaccuracy. This is nothing more than the creative process. The second reason is serendipity, that is to say, finding something without looking. Drawing without expectation and then seeing what has been learnt, is in my opinion the best way to grow. Taking risks and learning to take advantage and make the most of our mistakes.
Illustration by Bongiorni for the cover of the book “Le Ferite” that celebrates 50 years of Doctors Without Borders
What are your main artistic influences?
A series of disorganised influences without any logical thread, chaotic and in no particular chronological order: Albrecht Dürer’s The Ship of Fools, the stories of Hirohiko Araki, the plein air cascinas etchings by Federica Galli, the colours of Claudio Olivieri, the compositions of Jockum Nordstrum and Norman Wilkinson’s camouflage ships.
If you could illustrate a historical moment or future event, which one would you choose and how would you show it?
I would illustrate Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance, with a point of colour, trapped in the ice in a sea of grey and white.
Illustration for the Spanish tourism Paradores campaign
A project you are especially proud of?
The Atlas of Mysterious places of Italy and The Atlas of the Mysterious places of Antiquity which I created with writer Massimo Polidoro. I have always been fascinated by places with links to old legends or curious facts from history. A few years ago, I proposed the idea to Massimo of creating a book together that would evoke these mysterious places, using his pen and my pencil. He was immediately enthusiastic, and so began our collaboration to tell the story of these mysterious places.
And a personal project or artistic dream that you that you are yet to realise?
To illustrate In the Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco.
