Carlo Stanga: what it means to be an illustrator

Carlo Stanga graduated in architecture and he attended art and design which nourished his vocation for drawing. He developed a transdisciplinary approach working with creativity.

“I’ve learned creativity from Bruno Munari: it is important to find a method to develop in a free way your own creativity”.

The shift from architecture to illustration is related to the concept of the Daimon: a particular character in ancient Greek culture, it has an important meaning for creative people. It is a representation, a metaphor – the destiny, the reason why we are on Earth and we are living here – it is the best part of us. Everyone has a Daimon that preserves all the values and all the positive characteristics of a person.

“My Daimon is drawing: the first place I found it was during childhood in drawings. It was already possible to see many characteristics of my work today”.

As an illustrator, it is important to study the techniques and the prospective; when you learn them, you can go against them, doing things in a different way, with a new perspective, starting a creative revolution. The drawings directly express what you have in mind, expressing an unwritten message. His methodology starts from the sketches then he builds from there, working theatre scenery.

“Being an illustrator means to work with your passion. The contents I create are related to my creative passions – architecture, travel and drawing – satisfying my Daimon, the inner part of myself”.

Carlo Stanga works freelance and for many brands such as La Repubblica, Cartier, Rizzoli, Bompiani. UNESCO, Mercedes-Benz, MTA New York, The High-Line New York and Wall Street Journal, Stefano Ricci, Missoni and Brioni.

Since 2014, he has illustrated and written a series of books for Moleskin, – the Italian manufacturer, papermaker, and product designer – dedicated to the most important cities of the world, Milan, London, New York, merging his passions for architecture, travel, design, arts, and writing.

In 2021 he created his first children illustrations for the book “Zaha Hadid“, written by Eloisa Guarracino, published by Raum Italic, Berlin and Maxxi, Rome.

His distinctive style continually wins Italian Illustration awards and his work has been selected by The American Illustration Annual, winning the Gold Medal Award in Creative Quarterly’s #15 contest and Awards of Excellence from Communication Arts.