federico babina patterns visual dictionary of design hieroglyphics in inkonic illustration series

INKONIC DESIGN Illustrations reimagine iconic design objects

Inkonic Design is a series of six illustrations by Federico Babina halfway between hieroglyphic and primitive drawing, reducing a series of iconic objects to a formal minimum in order to achieve a sign-like abstraction. The lines and shapes that wander across the surface of the sheet suggest forms, elements, outlines, and silhouettes, but refuse to converge into complete or recognizable figures, the important thing is the overall composition and not the individual elements that shape it. A set of seemingly enigmatic signs dance across the sheet like an interconnected doodle at once primitive and controlled.

Inkonic Design by Federico Babina fuses hieroglyphic and primitive drawing styles | Inkonic bookshelf

Federico Babina forms a series of linear characters and symbols

These illustrations compose a series of design hieroglyphics with iconological and semiotic values; a sort of runic alphabet whose aim is to find coherence between the image and the graphic sign, to imagine a visual dictionary of design, to imagine writing in images. Six images illustrate an abacus of ideograms, a kind of writing of the unconscious that tries to communicate a concept and an idea. The artist forms an expressive, synthetic, representative language, where a series of characters use the graphic transposition of an object or concept. Chairs, tables, objects, bookcases, lamps, and architecture generate a visual grammar that pays graphic homage to the paintings of Paul Klee and Joan Miró and Alvin Lustig’s ‘Incantation.’ ‘A line is a dot that went for a walk’ quote by Paul Klee inspires Federico Babina (more here).

the series consists of six illustrations that abstract iconic objects to their formal minimum | Inkonic tables

these illustrations function as design hieroglyphics with iconological and semiotic values | Inkonic chair

graphic transpositions of objects and concepts form a unique visual grammar in Babina’s series | Inkonic lamps

Babina’s series imagines a runic alphabet, blending graphic signs and visual coherence | Inkonic object

the six images serve as an abacus of ideograms, communicating concepts and ideas visually | Inkonic architecture

project info:

name: INKONIC DESIGN
artist: Federico Babina | @fbabina

music composition: Cesc Miralta | @cescmiralta

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom