Go ahead, sink down into Aaron Fernandez’s visual world—you might not want to leave. The artist’s lively style is both chaotic and soothing, a trippy landscape in which daily life becomes a kind of game. We’re excited to have him as our most recent #ConnectedByLemonade commission.
Lemonade asked Fernandez to name some of his personal inspirations and influences. Get ready to find your next favorite artist!
“Jing was one of my favorite professors at Pratt and I was lucky enough to work as her assistant for a few years. She is an absolutely incredible illustrator, and I really learned everything I know about making commercial and editorial work from her. She’s also just one of the best people I’ve ever met. Love you, Jing! ❤”
“I don’t know a ton about Eizin Suzuki. I’m not even sure how I initially came across his work. He’s a Japanese illustrator who seems to have done a lot of print ads in the 1980s and ’90s, although I believe he’s still working today. He creates these really lush, vivid beach scenes that are just incredible. For some reason, there’s always confetti everywhere, which I find so delightful.”
“I don’t know So Youn Lee personally, but her work is my current obsession (literally my phone background). She’s a fine artist who makes these super cutesy paintings of babies and puppies floating around in a bunch of pastel, iridescent clouds. Every time I see her work I can feel my eyes widen and glaze over with a million different catchlights.”
“Jordan is a friend of mine and a former classmate at Pratt. She makes really sick, wobbly, airbrushed-looking work, and she has a really beautiful eye for color. Going to school together, I think our work is really intertwined in some ways.”
“These are really my dad’s influence. When I was a little, my dad, who’s a hobbyist artist, made these giant Patrick Nagel copies. We had them up everywhere throughout the house. They’re so weird and ‘80s specific.
“Mel Odom my dad was less obsessed with, but we had a book of his that I rediscovered when I was in art school, and it really influenced my work. He makes these really incredible, dreamy illustrations that are somehow really flat and really sculptural all at once. Also, it’s super gay, so that was probably part of the appeal.”
Check out more of Aaron Fernandez’s work below (and here)…then don’t forget to follow #ConnectedByLemonade!
