What can you say of an internationally renowned artist, who refuses to follow a particular style and rather boasts of a mind-boggling array of artistic creativity? A genius, I’m sure! That’s what Diego Cusano is and more. He’s the one who has transformed his artistic passion into fantasy research.
If you are wondering what a fantasy research is, here’s a low-down. Fantasy research involves a fantasy researcher, who sifts through countless objects and items of daily use, combines them meaningfully and aesthetically, driven by the instinct to create a new fantasy that is both ironic and surreal. Thus, a fantasy researcher turns the ordinary into something incredibly extraordinary.
Diego is a fantasy researcher to boot. His creations are a happy blend of food, fashion, celebrities, pencil art, cartoons, etc. involving both everyday objects and line art. His pieces are not only pleasing to the eye but bring a smile on the face of the viewer. And each of them is meant that one can easily relate to.
Diego is particularly enamoured of food since it is included in most of his creations. Be it vegetables and fruits, noodles, popcorn, toast with peanut butter, cheese, pizza slice and other tasty tit-bits, they are all there. As far as objects are concerned, these include cups, pencil shavings, bottles, brushes, bottle opener, among others, and, er…codoms too!
It seems that the art bug had bitten Diego from infancy and pushed him towards pursuing this career. So, it wasn’t surprising when he earned a Master’s degree in Visual Arts and Graphic Design and immediately set out for Europe seeking inspiration. During this long and intense period, he also embarked on a journey of self-discovery to find his artistic identity and give form to his creative stirrings.
It wasn’t long when Diego started to hone his collage technique, merging pencil drawings, still life images, illustrations and graphics into one. By 2013, he was ready to present his long-awaited new insight pop-ups. Some of his works show unbounded happiness, while others abject sorrow. His creation of the Big Ben soaked in a tear in memory of the brutal London attack, comes to mind.
Of course, when such fantastic artwork is placed on any social media platform, it’s bound to make waves. Diego started gradually, posting one new creation each day on Instagram. This was lapped up by the discerning public and brought him among top creatives. Currently, he enjoys a following of over 153,000 fans on Instagram alone and over 260,000 followers on various other social media platforms.
For Diego, interaction with the public is essential, since they act as his sounding board, giving him valuable feedback. To preserve his creations for posterity, he has also published an illustrated book, ‘Food Art & Fantasy’. It consists of 35 illustrations, all dedicated to fantasy gourmet.
Today, Diego has among his customers some top-notch companies, such as Adidas, Cartier, Diesel, Dior, Gruppo, Haribo, Mondadori and many others. It is certainly a result of his unique style that has swept one and all off their feet.
Diego Cusano
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