There’s humor to be found in Alberto Pazzi’s illustrations, but also – a lot of pink. The Mexican-born, Brooklyn-based illustrator has a background in graphic design, making his work both approachable and pleasing to the eye. In other words: Pazzi knows exactly what he’s doing, and his aesthetic vision is commendable.
“Graphic design gave me the tools to make money and showed me a way to do certain things, but it wasn’t for me,” he remarked in an interview with Elephant. “My favorite vehicle of expression is painting—it’s the most satisfying process. I know a lot of artists who are very talented but they can’t let go on a piece; but for me, if it’s not working I just throw it away and start again.”
His work, easily recognizable for his choice of color and cartoonish style, tends to center around common themes that include women, clowns, and ghosts – themes that Pazzi treats as universal. “The things I paint are very universal,” he stresses, adding that we’ve all felt like a clown or a ghost at one time or another.
“In my recent work I’ve used them almost like self-portraits,” he adds, “but the image of a clown, or a ghost drinking on its own in a bar… these are universal feelings that strike you even if you don’t speak the same language or whether or not you’ve had the same experiences—everyone can relate to them in a way.”
Relatable or not, his artwork is worth your attention:
