This month we partner with illustrator David Vanadia.  David is a french artist and illustrator.  Through a minimalist style, and the use of techniques such as engraving, paper cut and digital, he offers a singular work with strong graphic identity and illustrations that like to make sense.  David says, "This artwork connects to the theme of reflection because closed eyes express both the meditative state of the posture, but also the introspective journey that can result from it. The contact of the body and the water can create a feeling of reflexological plenitude where positive thoughts relating to relaxation and enjoyment of the present moment can arise."

For a little more about David, here's a short Q&A:

Where is home for you?

I live by the Mediterranean Sea, in Marseille, France.

What is your definition of a successful life?

I don't know if I will be able to define what a successful life can be.  This would amount to saying that we could also define what can be a life considered as failed.  I cannot define a life with such generic concepts.  I believe that a life is made up of a set of experiences from which we can learn to guide us on a path of our own.  Our own way of life.

Describe your perfect day.

The one where I would be in the present moment with every passing second.

How did you get into design?

I don't know if I got into design on purpose.  It came to me naturally. I have always liked to express myself through drawing, I am fascinated by this universal mode of communication, there is this something mystical, even primitive, which makes it possible to transcend thought.

Where do you find inspiration?

Much of my inspiration comes from philosophical sphere.  I like to translate concepts of thoughts into images.  Besides, I often use the term of visual metaphor to describe my work.

I am also very inspired by antique Mediterranean art and more particularly Egyptian pictorial art.  Finally, organic vegetal, floral and mineral forms also have a great influence on my work.

What's your dream design project?

All those projects that will manage to generate emotion in others.

Which designers or thinkers influence/inspire you?

Thinkers : Lao Tseu, Confucius, Sénèque, Marc Aurèle, Spinoza, Jean-Paul Sartre,
Simone De Beauvoir, Eckart Tolle.

Designers and artists : Henri Matisse, Georges Braque, Miro, Le Corbusier, Dieter
Rams, Geoff McFetridge, Malika Favre, Severin Millet, Andreas Samuelsson.

What was the inspiration behind this design?

The regenerating calm of a sea bath is the general feeling that I wanted to express in this work.  Water is a fascinating element that is inseparable from the origin of all life.  It has its unique power to purify body and soul, in many civilizations it is associated with spiritual and religious rituals.  It is a feeling of inner peace that emerges for me when I evoke the original deep relationship of humans to water.

How does Reflection play out in your life?

Reflection is omnipresent in my life.

First, this theme occupies a preponderant place in my artistic practice. I always conceptualize my designs in my head before drawing them.  My artistic approach is thus more thoughtful than spontaneous.

On the other hand, reflection is also present on a daily basis in my personal life.  I impose great discipline on myself in the organization of my thoughts.  Taking control of your thoughts is one way of applying self-discovery in a conscious way.

I therefore closely associate reflection with introspection and being.

At the moment, what is your favorite…

Color: I can't isolate just one, I would rather say a midnight blue and ecru combination.
Food: Spicy
Song: Birdsong
Quote: Less is more

Thanks for sharing with us, David!