‘Water for Life,’ João Machado ‘Festas de Almada,’ João Machado
Portuguese Designer João Machado – Water for Life and Festas de Almada
João Machado is a Graphis Master. Other Portuguese Designers from the Graphis Poster and Design archives include Sergio Alves, a Gold winner in Poster Annual 2014, Antonio Cruz, Vitor Quelhas and Ana Simões, a Gold winner in Design Annual 2014.
Machado’s submission to the Poster Annual 2015, “Water for Life” for UNKNOWNDesign, is a colorful rendering of playful design to raise environmental awareness. Machado designed the piece to show the scarcity and importance of water. The multicolored tadpoles represent life and should help draw attention to the protection of the environment. The Portuguese designer created the “Festas de Almada” poster for Almada’s City Hall to publicize the annual summer festival dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. The poster features fireworks and utilizes the bright, bold colors that many consider his signature. These entries were submitted to this year’s Poster Annual 2015.
‘Dia Nacional de Agua 2004′ João Machado ‘Pentinga em Azeite,’ João Machado
Machado studied sculpture at the Porto School of Fine Arts and graduated in 1968. Between 1976 and 1982 he lectured on graphic arts at his alma mater. In 1982, he opened his own studio, where he began his illustrious career. Machado, referred to as “Sculptor João Machado,” lives and works in Foz Velha, in Porto.
Machado’s work was featured in Poster Annual 1998 and Annual Reports 7. In addition, Phil Risbeck wrote about Machado in Issue 260,
“A modern-day Magellan in his own right, Machado’s graphic design has circumnavigated the globe via exhibitions and publications in numerous countries in Europe, Asia, and North and South America. His work has appeared in the leading annuals, and poster biennali in Warsaw, Brno, Lahti, Toyama and Colorado.
Machado paints with an expansive palette. My first visit to his studio in 1984 was a kaleidoscopic experience: to one side were pictorial images contrasted against primary colors of incredible purity; to the other side, shapes of brilliant secondary colors were surrounded by black fields. The initial impact was dazzling.”
To check out more work by João Machado, click here.
The Poster Competition features the most compelling and influential design of the year. Prizes consist of gold and platinum awards, with winning entries published in the Poster Annual 2015. To submit your own work to the Poster Annual 2015 competition, click here.
