This is an extraordinary time for the Catalan illustration sector. Illustrators work all over the world, their works are presented at major international fairs and receive prestigious awards. Now, as has happened historically, we have an impressive number of names of our own in the field of illustration and visual narrative that are receiving international recognition and whose works are regularly published in Catalan and other languages, in very different media but which are distinguished by an indisputable stamp: quality.
In this spirit, I am delighted to present this virtual catalogue, a showcase of samples of the work of Catalan illustrators that aims to foster knowledge and professional exchange in this global, digital field. I would like to highlight the architecture of this new tool, as it streamlines users' browsing experience and makes it easier to discover the artists. This is thanks, in particular, to the by-speciality search engine, which provides a shortcut to all types of content.
This new catalogue has an easy-to-use and intuitive design that was conceived with its professional target users in mind. Likewise, it adapts seamlessly to a range of devices to ensure proper viewing across the board. It is also attractive, featuring a contemporary aesthetic designed to give maximum prominence to the images, which are the real calling cards of the creators who form part of this compendium.
Illustration is a craft and vocational profession that brings art to young and old, using dozens of techniques applied to the service of a greater objective, which is none other than to tell a story, share an experience and move the reader or spectator.
We are aware of the vast amount of extremely solid talent that we export in this field, and we are certain that this new tool for rapid, universal and open access will make it possible to showcase even more effectively the excellent work of so many poster designers, cartoonists, children's illustrators and comic book authors who act as cultural ambassadors for Catalonia around the world.
From pencil to computer, and from charcoal and watercolour to the most cutting-edge digital techniques, the talent and experience of Catalan illustrators extend across borders and feature in all kinds of publications and media. They display a wide array of styles, genres and themes and are published by both Catalan and international companies. In recent years, the digital revolution has opened a new window of opportunity for illustration professionals in Catalonia.
Showcasing more than five hundred professionals from every branch of visual creation, all of whom are members of the Professional Association of Illustrators of Catalonia and Il·lustra, this virtual catalogue, produced through the Catalan Arts brand, aims to become a useful tool, on the one hand, for these creators and the professionals and companies that collaborate with them, and, on the other, for the promotion of the sector at publishing fairs and markets and international literary festivals.
With this new multi-language platform for disseminating the creations of Catalan illustrators, a highly intuitive tool offering a search engine with a range of category filters, Catalan Arts continues its work to encourage the international circulation of Catalan cultural productions, and to promote the hiring of Catalan professionals around the world. It is yet another step taken by the Ministry of Culture to support the international dissemination of Catalan illustration, in this case through the Catalan Institute for Cultural Companies and its internationalisation brand. At the same time, it stands as recognition of the exceptional era that this creative discipline is currently going through. An era in which tradition and contemporary innovation converge to establish ongoing dialogue with other disciplines and realities, and in which the powerful creative force of Catalonia's illustrators – artists of visual storytelling – is given new impetus by an industrial publishing dynamic that extends their influence across the planet.
We hope that this virtual catalogue, which is sure to grow in the future, will serve its purpose, and that its use will become widespread among lovers of illustration and all those companies and professionals who need the expressive power of an image and, therefore, the creativity, imagination, dedication and professionalism of an illustrator.
Catalan Arts is the Catalan Institute for Cultural Companies’ brand for the internationalisation of the Catalan cultural and creative companies. ICEC is a public institution of the Government of Catalonia's Ministry of Culture and via our network of offices in Europe (Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, London and Paris) we work on a variety of lines of action to connect, mentor and support creative companies in their international journey.
To this end, Catalan Arts works to strengthen Catalan companies' and their creative works' presence at international fairs and key professional events such as Bologna, Frankfurt, Paris, London, Guadalajara Book Fairs.
We also offer a range of useful materials and resources to professionals based in Catalonia who want to develop their projects internationally, as well as to professionals from other countries looking for artistic productions and willing to establish contact with their creators and promoters.
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Attention! Reproduction or exploitation of the illustrations and materials is subject to legal authorization.