Laura Stagno
Venezuelan artist and Illustrator recently settled in Barcelona, Spain. I lived many years in Tokyo, Japan, and have a passion for Japanese culture, paper and patterns. I have illustrated a dozen of children’s books and worked as the exclusive illustrator of a Design Studio in Tokyo for a long time. I love to create my illustrations with paper cuts, prints of textured objects and all kinds of patterns.
I double-majored in Illustration and Communication Arts at the Hugo Design Institute. After interning for famed graphic artist Veruca Mafnas, I went on to design at ad agency Showcase, where I worked for nearly three years.
I balanced my day job with personal creative work, like collage and woodblock printing, which garnered attention from a few indie publishers. Eventually, I got offers from more established magazines, so I decided to design for Showcase on a freelance basis. This allowed me to work on other cool projects, from emerging brands to current events.
My creative approach—no matter the medium—is to find points of tension behind the idea I’ve been assigned or am interested in. I do several iterations on each point and usually end up refining the one I find most controversial.
For me, controversy isn’t about instigation, but rather, a way to arrest your audience. It’s a way to plant a little bit of desire in their hearts; a yearning to turn the page and learn more about your idea. Ultimately, it’s about creating memorable images.
