Maria Corte (Barcelona, 1983) is an illustrator with an unmistakable style that combines geometric shapes, singular textures and a vibrant colour palette. She is a graduate in Illustration from the Escola Massana in 2009, that same year she received the INJUVE prize, awarded by the Spanish Government. Her work breaks with classical conventions, especially in the representation of the human body, exploring space in an innovative and expressive way.
Her work covers a wide range of fields: book covers, posters, press, advertising, animation, children’s illustration and educational projects. She has collaborated with magazines such as BBC Music Magazine, The Deal and Apartamento Magazine, and with newspapers such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and La Vanguardia. She has also worked for publishers such as Grupo Planeta and has created outstanding children’s projects, such as the musical series Minimúsica.
Her creations have been commissioned by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture, the Generalitat Government of Catalonia and the Barcelona and Madrid City Councils, consolidating her as a leading figure in contemporary illustration. Her latest project was the exhibition Pasión Doble, held at the Vienna Art Fair 2024 in dialogue with the work of Pablo Picasso.
THE CREATIVE PROCESS
THE PROJECT EXPLAINED BY THE ARTIST
“I started from the idea that the Articket passport allows you to travel freely in these museums. The passport is a key that opens the doors of each museum: Museu Picasso, Fundació Joan Miró, MNAC, MACBA, Museu Tàpies and CCCB. Open doors, all connected to each other, so that all visitors can enjoy art without restrictions.
I am greatly influenced by cubism and futurism. Geometry and composition are very important parts of my work. I have so many references, it would be impossible to mention them all. On a pictorial level: Fernand Léger, Richard Lindner, Juan Gris, Marinetti, Boccioni, Tarsila do Amaral, Botero… I have also been influenced by artists such as Brossa and Chema Madoz. I’m very interested in visual analogies and metaphors, and I always try to add a certain conceptual value to my illustrations. I also find inspiration in reading, cinema, posters, murals, the landscape around me… You have to keep your eyes open to discover your muses. They don’t appear if you’re not working”.
