Featured Artist: Sgobbia

Whether it’s a juicy watermelon or the reimagining of a zodiac symbol, Sgobbia’s distinctive style burns brightly and unmistakably across the page. Whether you just stumble across the playful cartoon drawings or you deliberately go in search of his store, everyone can agree that each design is undeniably a Sgobbia creation.

Sgobbia, or Pasquale Angerame, is an illustrator and character designer from Italy. He jokes that his eclectic style is “suitable for every situation” and that he can quickly pivot to different practices, techniques, and mediums. Nonetheless, his art has a unifying quality because “life turns around the beauty” surrounding him. His designs pull from a fun combination of elements like street art, “loud colors” or other artists like the Italian comic, Sergio Toppi. One of his proudest achievements as an artist has been to create tour posters for musicians like the Cuban jazz pianist, Roberto Fonseca, or the American saxophonist, Kamasi Washington. He hopes to continue to pursue his passion full-time and create art professionally for other artists and musicians.

Sgobbia declares “drawing is like a game for me” and that creativity is a puzzle that must be solved. He loves solving the “game” of art by finding the perfect tool or a new medium to complete a design. He believes that creativity is a “muscle that needs exercise to grow” and it just takes time and perseverance to succeed. He shares that the most important quality for an aspiring artist is for them to look at the world through fresh eyes and to feel as if they are seeing it for the “first time.”