Recommending: Oralia Zuniga

Today I wanted to talk about Oralia Zuniga, an illustrator and graphic designer based in Mexico. Her illustrations on instagram particularly caught my attention, looking like a sort of mosaic. Each illustration is usually composed of a main illustration and a few smaller ones, insisting on particular details of a scene or adding elements that can make it look like a collage. “It really came naturally for me. Focusing on details has allowed me to develop a lot of sensitivity and connection with my inner self.” she tells me through instagram. “I love cinematography and films, so when I imagine a scene I try to deconstruct it and see it as a little storyboard of a feeling.”

I personally really like this approach because it creates rhythm in the way you look at her work. It catches your attention even more and makes you come back and forth between the different elements to see how they connect together.
I particularly like her illustrations from Japan called “Japan Scenes”, which I think is a pretty accurate title. You can feel the reality of the scene as if it was frozen in time and that you were there to watch it. From what I saw she rarely uses any shadow or lighting and tends to focus more on the use of strong and vibrant colors, which creates an insistence on the simple and sharp lines of the drawing.

All those illustrations you will find on her account @borogato, but she also has her account @boroperro, this time focusing on graphic design. The style is quite different, using way more black and white in her compositions although you can still find small elements with the typical vibrant colors she uses in her illustrations. “That contrast comes as a part of me, because like everyone there are different sides to me. As much as my illustration account speaks about one part of me and who I am, the other one too. I am both at the same time but sometimes I am more inclined to one than the other, that is why having both gives me so much freedom.” It does feel like she is experiencing way more with that page, and is not really narrowed down to a particular style.

Asking her about how she saw her practice of illustration and graphic design coming together, this is what she answered: “I see them as complementary because they fill out different personal necessities. The difference is that illustration comes as a more disruptive practice because it takes a lot of time and emotional strength to get them where I want them to be; they also come with opportunities so before and after I have to act with clarity. Graphic design is the place where I can experiment as much as I want without feeling washed out no matter how many iterations. But honestly I figured that out later, in the beginning I did them separately because it was easier to market them that way since networking is everything these days”.

As I previously mentioned she is also a part of the project Midnight Ouizard, developing apps for different clients. “I also develop apps with my roommate who does the coding part, right now we have a project developing an app here in Mexico. I came to the tech world almost by accident, my roomie was already starting his career as a programmer but didn’t have a designer to work hand in hand with, so slowly I started helping him, first casually but then in a more formal way. And thanks to a friend we met some investors and one thing led to another. But basically my most consistent income comes from there and I am sooo thankful for it, because that has allowed me to explore the art side so much more, not having to worry all the time about money and if I am gonna make it next month”.

Overall a talented woman with many facets to her creativity, her work is definitely worth a look!