POETRY IN LINE

Working with ANOBA was the first time I was given complete creative freedom. Usually, my process begins with a clear theme, a piece of text, a defined direction: I read, I research, I take notes by hand, writing helps me find the right words. From there, turning those words into images becomes a natural gesture.
This time was different. No starting point, no brief — just a blank sheet. At first it unsettled me, then I learned to listen. And I realised I wanted to talk about something we all experience, every day. Within minutes, my notebook was already filling with sketches.
It was a genuine, spontaneous process, instinctive in the best way. And moving from drawing to embroidery felt like a revelation: watching my illustrations take shape through such a tactile, material technique, so different from print, was deeply emotional. This project became a continuous act of exploration, visual, technical, and profoundly personal.

– Fernando Cobelo

As an illustrator, I work constantly with visual metaphors. I’ve always been a deeply nostalgic person. Looking back, maybe it’s because I moved away from Venezuela many years ago and never returned to live there. My illustrations were born from a powerful need: the need to express myself through the only tool that ever felt truly mine — drawing. At first it was nothing more than a personal project, almost a diary. I certainly never imagined illustration would become my profession. Yet it saved me countless times; it helped me understand who I am, deeply and honestly, as a person. Ten years later — looking at where I’m standing now — I can finally say this is my job, and I truly love it. I never take it for granted. The images I create carry emotion, and that is what matters most to me. In my work, emotions are everywhere.

– Fernando Cobelo