Mario Fuentes

Mario Fuentes is an Ecuadorian Poster Artist born in the city of Ibarra. His work has been awarded with the Bronze Prize at the 10th International Poster Triennial in Toyama – Japan, Honorable Mention at the 12th BICM (International Poster Biennial of Mexico),  Second place in the COW International Design Festival 2013. Category COWposter in Ukraine, Second Place in the International Competition “Shouts to View” 2013 for Animal Dignity and among the best 10 posters of Poster for Tomorrow project 2011. Paris – France, forming part of the permanent collections of prestigious museums of design. Has also been selected in biennials and triennials of Poster in countries such as: Poland, Belgium, Japan, China, Finland, Mexico, Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Spain and Bolivia.

Mario’s Answers

We asked Mario our “Poster Poster Questions” and this is what he had to say:

1. What does the poster mean to you and why do you design posters?
The Poster is an Art it requires motivation, conviction, passion and a subtle touch of obsession, the poster is my modus vivendi and is part of me and my nature.

2. What would you say makes a good poster?
A well designed Poster is something that has to have Impact, Inspire and Communicate; also it opens the possibility of numerous readings, it is implicit not explicit, it is a  suggestive meaning that it is connotative not denotative and the most important it needs to transcend time without losing value or becoming obsolete.

3. What do you think is the role of the poster on the world today?
The Poster is an inspiration but is meant to generate discussion and detonate consciences since there are events that surround us day through day from various fields that are required the vision from the poster artist assertively.

4. What is your typical design process for making a poster?
My process makes the use of “functional thinking” where the intellect transcribed into symbolic codes of visual character sensing knowledge that are received through self-perception. Together they make a logic projectuality and aesthetic intuition, therefore in my case it results into a poster proposal..

5. If you could chose a poster in history as your favourite, which one would it be and why?
I really do not have a favourite poster, but I can mention that a French artist work from Ukraine, Adolphe Mouron most known as Cassandre, made a significant mark on my process as a poster artist, it aroused my interest and a taste to the poster author.

6. What advice would you give to new designers who might want to become poster designers?
All I can say is always keep your motivation for this latent art. Do not try to resemble anyone, on the contrary, express your own voice, be perseverant and reveal the personality in the art work keep in mind that the only commitment is with oneself.


Gallery