Set Your Style

Mario Sughi is an Italian illustrator, cartoonist and historian, living and working in Dublin. He is a member of the Associazione Illustratori and the author of Nerosunero.
His illustrations and cartoons, satirical in humor and minimalist in style have been published on international exhibition catalogues ( Offf Barcelona 07, Semi permanent Sidney 2008, Ink 01 International Illustration Rally 08, Bilbao); magazines, websites ( Juxtapoz, Paintalicious, Yay! Monday!) and art galleries (Little Paper Airplanes, L.A;, Umber Studios, Minneapolis; 180 Gallery Cambridge Ontari; Wannabee and DOZ Gallery Milan; Irish Art House, Tullamore and The Loft, Dublin).
Simplicity of the line and clever use of colors are central in Mario’s work.
I love the way he captures everyday moments and commonplace themes, and turns them into something new that mirror cultural identity and style of Dublin and its people.

Click continue reading to read what he told us in his interview.

NAME
Mario Sughi

JOB
Illustrator

WHERE DO YOU LIVE?
Dublin

WHICH SONG OR BAND ARE YOU MOST LISTENING TO AT THE MOMENT?
Ain’t Got No…I’ve Got Life, by Nina Simone. This version is really super!!!

FIVE THINGS THAT YOU CURRENTLY LOVE MOST ?
The Sea, Francis Bacon’s paintings, all Milan Kundera’s books, my illustrations ( I am joking a bit), a couple of pints of Guinness with some friend!

The illustration above was on show at “Skulls: return to sender” exhibition

YOUR FAVOURITE FASHION BRANDS AND/OR PLACES TO SHOP?
I don’t like shopping!

WHAT’S YOUR MOST TREASURED POSSESSION?
My Wacom “Intuos 3” graphic tablet!

WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BECOME AS A CHILD?
A journalist.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATION?
My city and its people.

WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE ARTIST?
To name one artist only is too difficult. So let me say that these days Edgar Degas’ Portrait de famille is my favourite painting.

WHO ARE YOUR FANTASY DINNER PARTY GUESTS?
I think a dinner on a September evening (preferably in a quite restaurant where on the background you can hear the sea), with Milan Kundera, Leon Tolstoy and Siouxsie Sioux would be as nice as a nice dream.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WORK TO FIRST TIME VIEWERS?
They are colourful and playful illustrations. When you look at them you can see the characters (men and women) moving lightly on an almost minimalist landscape. You will get a clear felling that something is happening there, but what exactly is never quite simple to say!

YOUR WORK SEEMS HIGHLY INFLUENCED BY FASHION. IS THERE ANY DESIGNER THAT INSPIRES YOU?
I think that are more influenced by painters and illustrators.

IF YOU WERE NOT AN ILLUSTRATOR WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
A photo reporter or a fisherman.

WHICH ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?
At present I am working at two great projects in the States, one with Jessica Goldfond of The Shiny Squirrel Gallery in New York, and the other with Linda de Moreta, my new illustrator agent for North America. Both of them are equally promising and exciting.

YOUR LAST TRIP?
Helsinki and Tallinn (I preferred Helsinki)!

AND THE NEXT ONE?
Back to Vancouver, in British Columbia, Canada, far from everywhere, one of my favourite place.

WHAT WILL YOU PUT IN YOUR LUGGAGE?
Nothing, just a completely empty luggage!

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE?
Dublin

AND YOUR FAVOURITE DISH?
Spaghetti with clams

IF I CAME TO DUBLIN WHAT SHOULD I ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO SEE?
Of course you shouldn’t miss places like Trinity College, Phoenix Park and Merrion Square (though you will encounter a lot of tourists there). After these you should really make a visit to the three main Dublin State Art Galleries: the very central National Gallery, with its Caravaggio’s masterpiece The taking of Christ, The Hugh Lane Gallery, just off Parnell Square, now hosting the original Francis Bacon’s studio at 7 Reece Mews; and the splendid Irish Museum of Modern Art, housed in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, probably the finest 17th-century building in Ireland.

But make sure not to miss a Dart journey (the Dart is the main Dublin train) to Howth, Killaney and Forty Foot (it used to be a strictly man bathing place, but now you can find women and kids bathing them too throughout the year, at any times, and in all weather conditions) in Sandycove, only few meters away from the James Joyce Tower, the setting for the first chapter of James Joyce’s masterpiece, Ulysses. And once you are back in town Neary’s is certainly the pub to go. I love it (one of the few pubs with no television).

WHAT COULD YOU EASLY DO TO HELP THE PLANET?
Just to be ourselves, I mean to be human…(but it s not always so easy!)

Tags: illustration