Hey Magnolia, great to have you here! Would you like to introduce yourself briefly to our readers? Who are you, where do you come from and where do you currently live? Tell us a bit about your story!
Hello, my name is Magnolia . I am Persian (Iranian) and I currently live in Turkey, in Istanbul. I have been working as a freelance graphic designer for over 13 years. I previously lived in Tehran, Iran, but due to the restrictions on women, I decided to move to Turkey five years ago. Here I still do my favorite job.
You are an art director and senior graphic designer - since when did you know that you wanted to pursue a creative career?
Even as a child, I loved spending my time painting and drawing. After school, I wanted to become an artist and so I studied graphic design.
A look at your Instagram feed reveals that you can be creative with anything that comes your way. Do ideas come to you spontaneously when you see something or do you first think of a theme and then specifically select the objects?
Ideas come to me in different situations. Sometimes I look at an object and try to see it from different angles or compare it to other objects.
Sometimes there is a specific topic that I want to create a creative design about. In this case, I think about how I can best present the topic and show it to my audience using a creative combination of image and language. In this setting, I like to work on social issues. Especially on the topics of women's empowerment and the environment.
Sometimes I get inspiration from other artists, which brings together different artworks.
It seems like you especially like working with eggs! What do you like most about it? Are eggs one of your favorite foods?
In my opinion, the inner and outer shape of eggs means that an infinite number of pictures can be painted. No two are the same.
By the way, you can also prepare an infinite number of different meals with eggs. That's why I do creative things with eggs, both in design and for breakfast (laughs).
What inspires you and why?
Sometimes when I wash fruit or vegetables, their shapes inspire me.
Sometimes social issues inspire me to create other designs.
The reason for the designs is that I want to show people that you can look at things in a differentiated way. I even had a "Creative Monday" project on Instagram with which I wanted to motivate people to look at things differently. You can see some of the designs in my highlight stories.
Tell us about your creative process! How do you structure your images and how do you edit them?
It all starts with taking a photo or when I see a photo on a website. Then I try to see something in the picture and paint the photo.
When and why did you start sharing your art on Instagram?
When I started my professional life, I realized that some of my clients didn't like the illustrations I did every day.
As I got to know Instagram better, I noticed that many designers share their illustrations there. Since then, I've been posting the illustrations I've always wanted to do on Instagram too.
Do you have a favorite of your pictures? Would you like to tell us the story behind it?
It's hard to choose a design. But I think the posts about plastic are my favorites. For this one I used the photo combo technique. I wanted to attract people's attention to this topic by showing the image in a different way.
And my other favorite is the “animEGG” series. The animals and insects didn't like their colors anymore, so they turned white and lost their colors to the background while they turned into an egg.
How do you feel about your Instagram community? Does it help you develop new styles and ideas?
I love my Instagram followers and owe them a lot. A lot of people from my early days are still there and it feels like you've known them in real life for a long time. I've even met some people in person. We've met, talked on the phone, stayed in touch and arranged more meetings. It's wonderful!
Would you like to tell us about Instagrammers who inspire you?
I admire a lot of Instagrammers. To name a few: @cintascotch , @combophoto , @jaimesanchezart , @paulfuentes_design and many many more!
Do you like writing and receiving postcards? Do you have a favorite card that you have ever received?
I really like sending and receiving postcards, but to be honest I don't get many. But these days I only write postcards from vacation.
Did you know Pickmotion before we started working together?
I didn't know about Pickmotion before you approached me, but it has been a wonderful experience collaborating with you so far.
Finally, would you like to share a little anecdote with us? Feel free to tell us whatever comes to mind!
As an artist, I always try to make my audience laugh with my designs. I'm so happy that I can bring smiles to people all over the world through this platform, so if you're looking for some good humor, you're always welcome to visit my page!
PS : WOMAN-LIFE-FREEDOM
ZG-1186-DE, MM-1291-DE, MM-1378-EN
You can also find many designs by @magn0liaa on our postcards and magnets! Check out PICKMOTION products in your local retailer and make yourself and your loved ones friends with Magnolia's pictures!
