illycaffè partners with 9 International Illustrators to Portray the finalist countries of the Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award 2020

Trieste, 3rd December 2020 – On the occasion of the fifth edition of the Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award, the recognition dedicated in memory of the visionary leader Ernesto Illy, son of the Company's founder and pioneer of the virtuous collaboration with farmers for the production of sustainable high quality coffee, illycaffè presents a digital art project that creatively communicates the culture of coffee through the eyes of nine illustrators.

Through this annual award, illycaffe shines a spotlight on coffee farmers and their stories of producing and raising the bar for higher quality coffee.  This year, illycaffe has added an element that tells this story in a visual medium by harnessing the drawing talents of a diverse group of international illustrators ranging in origin, inspiration and style­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­   ­̶  entrusting them with the task of giving an individual identity to the nine countries of the fifth edition of the Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award.

The digital project taps into a genre born in the early 1900s generated by the start of  international tourism, where drawing, given the high cost of photography, was the instrument of narrating places through playbills posters and postcards that fixed the magic of a locality in an evocative image, carrying its allure around the world. illycaffè, a global advocate and catalyst of art, pays homage to that fashionable moment in history, updating it to the contemporary storytelling embedded in social networks that is in extreme contrast of the past given modern instant ease and hyperproduction of photos even in remote parts of the world.

The selected artists are: George Greaves, English illustrator and designer; Maxime Prou ​​& Adèle Favreau, French duo known as Atelier Bingo, who create colorful and abstract works; ZEBU, Berlin creative duo active in the field of illustration and painting; Luisa Salas, aka Hola Lou, Mexican artist, designer and muralist with a minimal and modern style; Reyna Noriega, Miami-based visual artist, author and educator who works with a variety of mediums, from painting to digital illustration and photography; Amber Vittoria, a New York City artist whose works focus on the female form and the representation of women within art; Dutch illustrator Bodil Jane, specializing in colorful and pop illustrations focusing on women and nature; Studio Grand-Père, the illustration project by Brazilian designer Rafaela Mascaro born with the aim of encouraging and inspiring people to share their creativity all over the world; Dabito, designer, photographer and artist, known for his vibrant use of colors and eclectic, modern and bohemian style.

Each of these artists has been paired with a specific coffee origin of the nine finalists, to tell a story through their own style,  shapes and colors, while also incorporating references to the origin’s aromatic coffee notes: from the floral of Ethiopia to the fruity of Colombia, from the chocolate of Brazil to the black pepper from India. Through the art’s intrinsic beauty, illycaffè shares and communicates the company's heritage and fundamental components of its culture, ethics, and values ​​within the world of coffee production and its countries of origin. On December 2nd, the nine artists will post their work to their Instagram profiles and on illycaffè's social profiles prior to the official Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award virtual ceremony.


Countries & Artists:

Colombia: Reyna Noriega @reynanoriega

Etiopia: Maxime Prou & Adèle Favreau  @atelier_bingo

Costa Rica: Zebu @z_e_b_u

Guatemala: George Greaves @georgegreaves

Ruanda: Amber Vittoria @amber_vittoria

India: Bodil Jane @bodiljane

Brasile: Luisa Salas @holalou

Honduras: Studio Grand Pere @studiograndpere

Nicaragua: Dabito @dabito