Emiliano Ponzi, one of the best illustrators of our times

Emiliano Ponzi, one of the best illustrators of our times

His distinctive style of strong graphic compositions make his illustration immediately recognizable

There is a famous Italian designer and illustrator, who lives between Milan and New York and is considered one of the largest in the world: he is Emiliano Ponzi. Maybe not everyone knows his name but his illustration conquered the eyes and hearts of millions of people through the pages of virtually countless works.

His painterly style pops with color and vitality and his work has appeared in advertising, magazines, books, newspapers, posters, and advertisements. Some of his Italian clients are Armani, Bulgari, Gucci, Martini, La Repubblica, Feltrinelli, Lavazza, TIM, Pirelli, Ferrari, and the Triennale Design Museum. While outside his home country he worked for The New York Times, Le Monde, The New Yorker, Louis Vuitton, Moma NY, Cartier, Der Spiegel, Penguin Books, Hyundai, Esquire, and Amnesty International.

Emiliano Ponzi

Born in 1978, Ponzi grew up in Ferrara. There, he began drawing as a child but didn’t expect it to turn into a career.

During his studies at the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED), the artist discovered his talent for illustration. After graduating, he concentrated on developing his way to bring together images and ideas.

He had his first solo exhibition in 2008 in Savanah, Georgia. He then went on to showcase works in the Sketch Obsessions show on the 8th floor of the New York Times Building in 2009.

Today, Ponzi is considered one of the finest illustrators of his generation. His bold textured illustrations make use of repetitions, judicious use of line, strong graphic compositions and the use of conceptual metaphors. Thanks to his unique style he received numerous awards including the Young Guns Award from the New York Art Directors Club and the Gold Cube from The Art Directors Club of New York. He has won multiple medals of honor from the Society of Illustrators New York, and award recognition from Society of Illustrators Los Angeles and the 3×3 Magazine Pro show. Awards of excellence have appeared in Print, How International Design Award, Communication Arts Illustration Annuals, and American Illustration Annuals. “10×10”, his first monograph (Italian-English edition), was published by Corraini (Italy) in 2011 and sold out of both first and second editions. Penguin Books published his first picture book, “The Journey of the Penguin” (2015), to celebrate the publisher’s 80th anniversary. While MoMA of New York published his second one, “The great New York subway map”, in 2018.

Photos from the Ponzi’s Facebook profile

Ilona Catani Scarlett