Javi Aznarez

From the sun-drenched, whitewashed tranquility of Cadaqués – a place he wryly notes is "the most painted town in the world" – Javi Aznarez conjures illustrations of remarkable wit, charm, and narrative depth that resonate on a global stage. This Spanish artist, having honed his craft during four formative years as a cartoonist in Paris, made a deliberate choice: forsaking the metropolis for the rugged beauty of the Costa Brava. Here, nestled in nature, his small studio functions as a vital sanctuary, a place dedicated to the meticulous craft of developing ideas and characters, ensuring a pursuit of excellence far from urban frenzy.

Aznarez's distinctive line and evocative compositions have graced the prestigious pages of *Vogue* and *The New Yorker*, establishing a visual language that caught the eye of one of cinema's most meticulous auteurs. This led to his defining, three-year collaboration: becoming an integral visual architect for Wes Anderson's *The French Dispatch*. Discovered through producer Octavia Peissel, a Cadaqués summer regular familiar with his work, Aznarez passed a demanding "casting" test, proving his unique ability to adapt while retaining his signature style.

Working almost entirely from his Tabakov studio (shared with his wife, artist Elodie des Longchamps, and Ilich Roimeser), Aznarez embraced the "luxury" of remote creation. This autonomy allowed him to infuse the film with his personality, resulting in an extraordinary body of work: the iconic main poster, teaser campaigns, approximately thirty magazine covers, the evocative illustrations separating each chapter, and even the animated video for Jarvis Cocker's track "Aline," depicting the fictional town of Ennui-sur-Blasé. His pandemic-era workflow, a pre-existing norm of "teleworking" from Cadaqués, proved serendipitously ideal. A brief foray onto Anderson's set saw him lending his actual hands for detailed drawing sequences and painting murals, including a caricature of Jason Schwartzman – a nerve-wracking but ultimately satisfying experience under the intense gaze of the film crew.

Beyond Anderson, Aznarez's diverse portfolio encompasses storyboarding for Neil Jordan's *Greta* and animation for The Macallan Red Collection. His published works, like *Ventvolgut estrangulador* and the forthcoming *Los decapitados* (Hotel Marciano Editions), showcase his narrative ambition. Javi Aznarez stands as a compelling figure: an artist proving that profound connection to a specific, inspiring place like Cadaqués – "tranquil yet connected to everything" – can fuel creativity that effortlessly captivates the world, from the quiet Catalan coast to the bustling heart of Hollywood and the pages of global icons. His is a model of idiosyncratic vision thriving on its own terms.