Get to know the controversial Spanish artist before his second Bangkok show opens this month.
1. Who is Joan Cornellà?
Born in 1981 in Barcelona, Spain, Joan Cornellà started drawing at a very young age. Cornell began his career as an illustrator for magazines such as La Cultura del Duodeno, El Periódico, Ara and, later, The New York Times.
2. What is he famous for?
Cornellà is best known for his boldly colored comic strips that incorporate dark and surreal humor and tell a story despite the absence of words or thought bubbles. Cornella uses his strips to portray different social issues: greed, racism, sex, class, drugs and crime, for instance. It is quite unclear when the art world first took notice of his illustrations, but his first book, Abulio, was published in 2010.
3. How controversial is he?
Cornellà often touched on controversial issues with the use of obscene illustrations (for example, a smiling man using his penis to fish for a vagina). With no surprise, he’s been restricted from posting on Facebook and Instagram many times. This didn’t stop his name from becoming famous. More fans and followers ensued with every social media comeback.
4. Where does he get his inspiration from?
Cornellà is heavily inspired by British comedy group Monty Python as well as the artwork of cartoonists such as Helge Reumann, Glen Baxter and Molg H.
5. What will he exhibit in Bangkok?
Cornellà is displaying some of his limited-edition drawings on canvas and sculptures, some of which have never been shown elsewhere , along with his books, and limited quantities of screen-printed T-shirts.
Exhibition runs until Dec 3 at Woof Pack, 1/3-9 Sala Daeng 1 Alley, Silom, Bang Rak. B200/adult.
