Take a trip inside the cutely sinister world of illustrator Pablo Orrego

When asking Chilean illustrator and graphic designer Pablo Orrego (who goes by the name Peiper too), on what influences have informed his practice, the list is endless and maybe one of the most varied we’ve heard.

His introduction to illustration is with thanks to “skateboarding and posters for punk concerts,” which led him to be “interested in illustration before graphic design,” explaining why the former is what fills his portfolio. Pablo’s education also informed his decision to lean towards more illustrative work too, studying at “at an institution whose purpose was to generate entrepreneurs instead of creators and that made me move away from graphic design,” he explains.

But in terms of the context and style of Pablo’s work, it’s toy shops where he can be found gathering up inspiration for the “very colourful and repetitive magic universe,” that his characters inhabit. “I really like toys and character creation,” he tells us. “I spend a lot of time in toy stores and for some time I’ve been interested in kid’s rides because they’re so colourful, but undeniably strange objects.”

As a result, Pablo’s illustrations are cute but “sinister, with disturbing expressions and actions in the hand of friendly grotesque forms,” he tells us. His illustrations too are undeniably strange, varied but smile-inducing due to their mix of neon colours and creepy, but joyful, ear to ear grins. Although random, the illustrator’s work shows the brilliance of a medium which can switch and change between styles and content whenever the creator wants.