Olimpia Zagnoli on how creativity helps us understand one another

It's Nice That Your talk was great! You spoke really well about the whole industry, as well as yourself. Do you enjoy public speaking?

Olimpia Zagnoli No. It’s not my favourite thing to be honest. Sometimes when I have to do it, I’m like why did I say yes? Like why. It makes no sense. Why me!

INT Particularly in illustration, though, it seems so much more common that you’re expected to be good at it?

OZ Isn’t it the same for everyone? When you start communicating visually, you’re putting something of yourself into what you do. I think it’s natural to be asked to express that or to explain it verbally. I understand but it’s just… Maybe I chose to become an illustrator because I didn’t want to explain. I love the idea of being behind the illustrations or that the drawings speak for me.

INT I saw you speak once before and you spoke so sweetly about your family, and growing up with your parents’ artistic influence.

OZ Well, I grew up drawing, as most illustrators do. I kept doing it as I grew older and having both parents as artists was a privilege for me. I never had to think about finding a “real” job – in that I was never faced with the idea that one day I would have to choose something, specifically. My dad is a photographer and my mum is, I would say, a painter, even though she does more collage than actual painting. I kind of found illustration on my own – inside that sort of structure, I found my own way.

For me, drawing has always felt like a place you go to relax and have your own time, in your bubble. It was my place to go, even if I had to share a room with my younger sister, during my parents’ divorce, or in high school when I was bored by lessons. It’s always been a sort of meditative practice for me, even though I had no idea what meditation was.

INT How did things begin to kick off for you?

OZ I don’t remember very well. I graduated and over the summer spent most of my days trying to produce art. Even if I didn’t have any commissions I would give myself something to illustrate. I then put together a small portfolio and with that I started trying to find work. Obviously, living in Milan, I went to the fashion magazines, but at the time they had no illustrations, apart from maybe the horoscope. Design magazines were more about photographs at the time too as this was 2007. It was a little before social media as well. It was that very fine line between that world we knew before and now.

I’d hoped that I would work in Italy, but I only made a few illustrations for magazines and I felt like it wasn’t as much as I wanted. I knew The New Yorker because I loved the vignettes, the cartoons, and I love it as a publication. I went to New York and asked some friends if they had any contacts. I began working for real in New York – for real meaning with publications that are renowned. After that, it was much easier nationally to work when I came back to Italy.

INT How so?

OZ At the beginning I felt a little uncomfortable with the results. It didn’t necessarily reflect who I felt I was at that moment, which I think probably happens with writing too? Sometimes you go back to pages in your diary and you’re like this wasn’t me, I was impersonating someone, or I felt like I wanted to look or sound like I was someone else. At the beginning there was definitely a lot of that feeling, of not feeling comfortable in the colours and choices. The more you work, the more you feel a sort of confidence and at least I recognise myself now. It doesn’t mean that the result is beautiful, amazing or special, but at least it looks like me.

INT Is there anything you haven’t got to do yet?

OZ The project I did on the New York City subway was so interesting for me. Even though I did it in 2012, to this day it’s one of my favourite projects. There were so many unprecedented connections with people and the response was so unexpected. It was a conversation that started from something that was so simple like a poster, and it very much opened doors to new possible jobs which interact more. Now I would love to do something like public art, like an installation or something.

INT Anything in particular?

OZ I really like this idea of people getting to interact with your work, who might not know anything about art or illustration. Not even questioning if it’s good or bad, just maybe interacting with a piece because they play soccer around it, or because they get some rest and read a book next to it. That sort of relationship between art and the public, when things are open and accessible, is something that really fascinates me.

INT But already with your Barilla project, for example – which you’ve previously spoken so brilliantly about – your work is already in the homes of many!

OZ There are two aspects to a project like that. One is the pop art aspect, the fact that you end up on a product. I have my tissue papers with Tempo now and they literally sell a whole box for 90 cents, which means they can be anywhere. That’s something I really like. It takes down all the ego that comes with creating and brings it to the people.

On the other hand, it’s about creating a conversation with brands rather than just saying no or yes, or being a victim of this system that is totally capitalised. When I teach, most people are more interested in getting recognition from brands, asking “How did you get to work with that brand” or “How can I get in contact with that brand?” When I was younger, I was into the do-it-yourself background and for me, when I think back about it, it was crucial for me to think and question all the layers in society. I think it’s important to not be blinded by the idea of working with a big brand. It’s more about asking yourself if it makes sense, or if you can say something in their voice – or if you can amplify your voice through theirs.

INT Like what?

OZ The one thing I try to pass on is being excited about what you do. When I was at school I was confronted with teachers who were frustrated with their jobs. But one day, I remember a teacher talking about the bureaucratic aspect of the work – invoices, contracts and all that. He said something, along the lines of: “Don’t worry, you’re going to learn all these things, they look very boring and very scary right now but you’ll get a sense of it and then you’ll be able to do the best job on this planet because being an illustrator is great.” That simple sentence for me as a student was fantastic. I needed to hear that on the other side of all that struggle – the internal questioning, the technical difficulties, and doubts – there was something to look forward to. It’s very simple but for me it’s very important. I try to always say to my students that it’s a wonderful job, that it’s a privilege.

INT It seems that side of a creative role is taught a lot more now and it’s so important – especially when you’re freelance.

OZ Yes particularly, I have to say, with women. It’s not a matter of gender obviously, but in teaching in Italy most of the time I see that women are so shy about what they do. Most of the time they come with their work and they’re like, “Oh it’s nothing, it’s not important, it’s not really good”, and I have to say let me see it first before anticipating. I am obviously generalising, but it happens a lot. I always try to say don’t question yourself too much. Be critical, but at the same time exercise your inner self, try to put it out and see what happens.

When it comes to money, sometimes when I teach I take real assignments that I got from brands or magazines. I ask students to make the same topic in the same size that I was given, and I give them the price that I was paid so that they have an idea of how it works in the real world. Most of the time schools – especially in Italy, but maybe in Europe in general – are quite disconnected from the actual jobs that are out in the world.