Quotidian Delights

Fairy-Tales And Coffee That Illustrate The Importance Of The Imagination

Cinzia Bolognesi is motivated by quaint encounters of everyday life. From a young age she was moved by her passion for illustration, and after graduating in Fine Arts, she began using this unique language to translate ideas and feelings into cute and refreshing visual symbols. Based in Bologna, she now has 15 years of experience in visual communication.

“I find inspiration in the little things, and I transform those things into fairy tales,” she tells us. “I started doing it for my son.”

Indeed it is clear why these beautiful images would appeal to a child. They feature raw, vivid colours, from the bright piquancy of the pomegranate to the sumptuous earthy delights of the coffee. All items are spatially arranged into a birds-eye view perspective. From such an angle we no longer see them as food, but rather as colours and shapes. The invasion of imaginary fairy-tale creatures seem to protectively encircle the objects, providing the frame with ethereal substance.

“Fairy- tales translate reality into something you can handle. I try to do this in my illustrations.”

The juxtapositions of the solid and concrete with the light and airy are a marvellous thing. Helping us to peer beyond the commonplace towards a phantasmal realm, where surprising elements of magic can transform a nondescript event into something painted with significance. “Keep moving forward” is the message inscribed on the January palette, where in the darkest times of the year we rely upon light and colour to set the right tone. Soft velvety magenta is brought out to play with a crisp, crunchy beige. We have Cinzia to thank for brightening the mood.

We caught up with her for a chat:

TP: How did you grow as an illustrator?
Cinzia Bolognesi: I refined my skills in digital drawing techniques, and this allowed me to grow up as a Graphic Designer and Digital Illustrator. I specialise in graphic design, branding and new media design. My professional experience includes corporate identities design, trade marks and logotypes on all kind of medium and packaging design.

TP: What’s the story behind your latest Instagram images?
CB: For my coffee series, it was random: one morning, some time ago, I was having breakfast on a black sheet that I normally use for work. Looking at that sheet with cookies on it, I started drawing some stories unconsciously.

TP: What’s the reasoning behind the colour-scheme you applied in these images?
CB: I started some time ago to create a colour palette to represent each month of the year.
My works reflect that colour scheme, more or less. The black background is essential, however, to set the mood.

TP: Coffee and fruit feature a lot. Why these?
CB: I believe that these two things are very photogenic! Plus the fruit has attractive colours that match well, creating a harmony in the colour-scheme. And the coffee … well coffee is loved all over the world, it’s the drink that wakes you up in the morning, it’s what you drink in the company of a friend or during a break at work.
I make stories that revolve around these feelings

TP: What other media and materials did you use for these images? Did you use any cameras, if so, which?
CB: I use many supports for my drawings and I really like to change the colouring techniques according to what I want to tell. Also I use the iPad for making my works. Sometime ago I started taking pictures using a Samsung NX1, I think it has a great detail.

TP: What else are you working on?
CB: At the moment I’m working on some book covers and a graphic novel.