Inside her lively landscapes, illustrator Fiona Quadri is exploring “queerness, race and belonging”

“I love introducing people into my world of thoughts, my curiosities and my deep love for introspective conversations, socio-political debates and my community,” says illustrator Fiona Quadri. Often an entry point to her everyday landscapes and conversations, the Belgium-born artist’s vibrant illustrations all form part of a visual archive she is creating that aims to fill “representational gaps” left throughout history. A student of post colonial studies for her master’s degree, Fiona’s creative practice closely weaves together her theoretical knowledge with everyday narratives. Whether documenting queer Black life in Brixton, or finding the right forms to illustrate her aunt’s experience “moving from London to Nigeria in the 80s”, Fiona’s visual work is constantly exploring ideas of “displacement, queerness, race and belonging” through multilayered compositions.

The artist’s detailed illustrations always start with research, which, to a creative like Fiona, is all about the act of collecting and paying close attention. “I love speaking to people and often keep a voice record of conversations. I am also always carrying a little visual diary with me in which I sketch, collect quotes, but also materials from little adventures I take myself on when I explore — stickers, poster cutouts, fabrics, and receipts, or even photos,” she explains.

This patchwork of found things is quite often where her illustrated stories begin. To achieve her graphic style, Fiona uses oil pastels, fine liners and paint amongst other sourced material such as “collaged photographs and fabrics” to adorn her characters and scenes before translating them into digital drawings.

Alongside her illustration work Fiona is zine-obsessed and hosts regular workshops as part of her Zinetopia project, imagining alternative futures through zine-making and spreading her knowledge on these powerful printed objects in ways that are “tied to my artistic mission around community, safety and socio-political discussion”, the artist says. Her most recent workshop took place at the Tate Modern as part of Little Simz’s Tate Late this August.