SAY HELLO [email protected]
© 2026 MARIA GM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Spain, Barcelona
MARIA GUTIÉRREZ 2026
Illustrations for "La Pública"
18 DE MAYO DE 2025Illustrations for "La Pública": visualising a possible future shaped by cooperation, ecology and innovation.
Illustration Art direction
General overview
Editorial context and approach
These illustrations were created for La Pública, the editorial project of the cooperative La Hidra, on the occasion of an interview between Ada Colau and economist Mariana Mazzucato titled "Entrepreneurial cities facing present and future challenges". The brief was to visually support committed editorial content, bringing humanity, lightness and narrative clarity without losing conceptual depth.
Based on three core concepts — ecology, cooperation and innovation — a series of illustrations was developed to act as visual metaphors. In the central image, several characters collaborate in a symbolic environment full of gears, plants and everyday objects, representing the collective construction of a fairer world. The aesthetic is warm, with simple lines and flat colours, designed to connect with a broad audience while keeping graphic intent.
Visual metaphors
The illustration of the girl holding a pencil represents learning, critical thinking and education as a driver of change. Her firm gesture, her central position and the use of colour reinforce the idea of an active new generation ready to build alternatives. On the other hand, the bear hugging a lightbulb and a ruler becomes a direct symbol of climate care and the urgency to rethink our energy model. Its tender yet firm gesture suggests the need to pause, observe and act responsibly.
These illustrations do more than accompany a text: they amplify it symbolically and emotionally. With an accessible, narrative aesthetic, each image builds a visual story that reinforces the values defended by Colau and Mazzucato: cooperation, sustainability, innovation and a shared future. A series that connects with the human side and communicates from the desire for transformation.