Interview with Catell Ronca

q)Something about you…what you want…

a)I was born in Switzerland and moved to London in 1997 to study illustration in Kingston University. After finishing my studies I worked in publishing for a while and went on to do an MA in Communication Art and Design at the Royal College of Art. I am currently dividing my time between painting and teaching illustration at a university in north London.

q) What are your main goals when you create?

a)My work focuses primarily on people and colour.
My aim is to reflect what I see around me using spots of colour. I’m especially keen to capture the beauty of human beings in their everyday glory. But also, I want to be a visual journalist and document what I see in detail.

q) Do you rule by any tendency in your creative work, or you only follow what comes in your mind?

a)I am often overwhelmed with ideas about experimenting with colour and composition. I try and challenge myself not to repeat what I have done before, but instead try out something new with fresh criterions.

q)How has the internet and your website helped you spread your artwork to a wider audience?

a)It has gradually become very important. Sending my web address to other people’s websites and having it listed there has helped a lot. Having a website is a fantastic self-promotional tool on an international basis.

q)How do you define your style and how would you describe your art to someone who could not see it?

a)I would say that it is very colourful, a bit naïve and sometimes quite detailed. As it is all about colour my favourite subjects are people of different races who I see on a daily basis in London.

q)What materials do you use to realize your creations?

a)I use gouache and sometimes photocopier toner

q) What is your favorite a) taste b) sound c) sight d) scent e) tactile sensation?

a) lime juice b) my cat’s meow c) a beautiful man d) freshly brewed coffee on a summer morning e) my cat’s fur

q) What are you doing now…your current projects…

a)I just finished a book cover and work on a children’s book about a Mexican boy

q) Do you listen to music while you’re creating and what do you listen and what do you like to listen?

a)Yes, music is very important to me. At the moment I really like the Beta Band, Yo La Tengo, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Vetiver, Lebanese Hip Hop…

q) Do you draw influences from a wide range of artists, musicians, books…?

a)I would say that my influences come from African advertising arts and Mexican street graphics but also other illustrators such as Calef Brown, Irene Schoch and Christopher Corr. I love travelling and visiting new places and am a big fan of world cinema, which allows me to travel in my own livingroom.

q)Name 3 things you couldn’t create without?

a)Colour pencils, sketchbook, a clear head

q) Where have you show your art…?

a)Most recently I’ve exhibited some work in a group show called GUMBO in London.

q) What haven’t you done yet that you definitely want to try someday?

a)Go to Mongolia, Morocco, Yemen, Ethiopia, Iran, Israel, Usbekistan.
Have children and cats and dogs.

q) How important is self-promotion for an artist nowadays?

a)It’s extremely important. Even if you produce some amazing art, it’s of no use if the world out there doesn’t know about it. And with the Internet being such a powerful resource, there is no excuse not to promote oneself using it.

q) Would you say that your work consciously reflects characters and situations found within your daily life?

a)Yes, absolutely, my daily life in London is what feeds my work most. Be it in direct and obvious ways or indirectly.

q) Favourite book?

a)‘Everything is Illuminated’ by Jonathan Safran Foer


q) Designers/Artists you admire?

a)Calef Brown, Irene Schoch, Christopher Corr, Clayton Brothers, Christian Northeast, Mark Todd,
Neo Rauch, ATAK, Rutu Modan, Johnny Hannah, Carmen Lomas Garza, Margaret Kilgallen, Clare Rojas, Alfredo Vilchis Roque, Chéri Samba


q) Your contacts….e-mail…links…

a) www.catell.co.uk
www.catellronca.co.uk
catell@catellronca.co.uk