What can you say about a person who has shaped his whole life around the dictum “Don’t try to be good, just try to be different”? He’s certainly an innovator, who are not tied down by classic conventions.
Meet Elia Colombo, who describes himself as a free spirit illustrator, who believes in universal ideas and who seeks perfection in simplicity. According to this freelance Italian artist, life is too short to get a real job! This may sound weird, but one look at his works and you are forced to admit that this man doesn’t need a real job!
Colombo is based in Italy and is focused on conceptual illustrations that are full of meaning that compels you to reflect at the truth depicted in them. Each and every illustration of his portrays a reality that is encountered in real life. Take for example his illustration of an astronaut in space, whose home is reflected on his visor. It so poignantly portrays his longing for his home.
Where does Colombo get his ideas from? Giving the example of a fisherman, he explains, “The fisherman doesn’t know where his fish exactly is, and he can’t decide which one to catch. He only knows that there’s plenty of fish in the sea. So, he waits. When it comes to having ideas, it works the same – we float on the sea of thought, totally unaware of what swims beneath us. We don’t know where to find ideas – like the fisherman we have to wait, ready to catch what comes to us on its own.”
Colombo graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communication design from the Milan Polytechnic and studied philosophy at the University of Milan. This combination, together with his previously learned and actively cultivated technical skills, prompted him to take up illustrations as a career. Today, he works as an illustrator and independent graphic designer.
With an enviable list of clients like Adobe, Nissan, Dali, ING, and many more, it is not surprising that this amazing illustrator enjoys a following of over 84,000 fans on Instagram alone.
Elia Colombo