You won’t fail to have noticed that we’re really quite keen on Modernist architecture, pristine examples of which can be found in London’s Barbican. It goes without saying that we’re also big fans of geometric and abstract illustrations, as a brief scan of our 100 covers will prove. So when London-based graphic designer Stefi Orazi channelled her energy into creating abstract renditions of the Barbican on cards, we were thrilled, to say the least.
The growth of the project was somewhat organic. 'I’ve lived on the Golden Lane Estate (also designed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, the architects behind the Barbican) for over two years. When I moved in, the Golden Lane Estate owners’ association were looking to attract younger people to the estate so I designed a series of posters and leaflets. This was where the abstract illustrations started,' explains Orazi.
A local gallery, Exhibit, spotted Orazi’s work and wisely got her on board for their exhibition, ‘Golden Lane Stories’ during last year’s Design Week. Hence ‘Golden Lane Cards’ were born. So popular were the cards that she teamed-up with a local screen printer, K2 screen, to produce a limited edition print of one of her illustrations (see below).
Click on the image above to view Stefi Orazi's work.
'I also received a lot of feedback saying people in the Barbican bought the cards because they were the closest thing they could get to the Barbican, so it seemed an obvious progression to illustrate that area next. I lived there for seven years so have quite an affiliation with the architecture.'
And she shows no sign of stopping. 'My plans are to eventually do every block on the Barbican Estate, with limited edition prints to follow in lots of special greys,' says Orazi.
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INFORMATION
Golden Lane Estate prints available to buy, framed (£230) and unframed (£110) from her website and Exhibit, 20 Goswell Road, EC1M 7AA
- Website
- http://www.stefiorazi.co.uk
- Address
- Unit 110
Black Bull Yard
24–28a Hatton Wall
London
