Which books inspire the beautifully considered work of Querida studio?

Based in Barcelona, Querida is one of those studios that can make any graphic designer or art director drool. Working across websites, publications, film, photography and branding, the studio’s output is beautifully considered; each part subtle and adept. Its practice is born from the city it inhabits, resulting in a fascinating combination of contemporary and classic elements which have garnered the studio a client list including Solange, Dropbox and Tate Modern.

As well as designing for print, Querida self-publishes Perdiz, a magazine about people and the things that make them happy – a concept we here at It’s Nice That can firmly get behind. Wanting to know more about the inspirations behind one of our favourite studios, we asked for a rundown of its favourite books and Marc Sacho, partner and creative director, delivered.

Check out Marc’s Bookshelf, below.

Joan Morey: Misa Negra

The older I get, the more I realise that I was very lucky to have Ana Dominguez as my editorial design teacher. She showed me a lot of studios and amazing publications that still, today, are a reference in my daily life as a designer. One of the books that I was most shocked by was Misa negra ("Black Mass”) by multifaceted artist Joan Morey. I loved everything about this book, from the layout to the rhythm or the production. It’s the perfect example of what an artist book can, and should, be when the author and the designer work together.

Dante Alighieri: The Divine Comedy illustrated by Miquel Barceló

The Divine Comedy is one of those books that everyone talks about, but very few people seem to have actually read (honestly, I didn’t read it until Barceló’s edition). Between 2000 and 2002 Spanish artist Miquel Barceló presented illustrations for a Círculo de Lectores edition of Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy: Hell in April, Purgatory in May and Paradise in June. Thanks to this book, Barceló became the youngest artist to ever exhibit at the Louvre in Paris in 2004 when his watercolours illustrating Dante’s The Divine Comedy were put on display.

Fantastic Man

Without a doubt, Fantastic Man has been a great influence on our work as it is one of the most significant new fashion publications of the last decade. I love everything from this publication – I just hate that I didn’t design it. This tenth-anniversary edition is the perfect opportunity to realise its beautiful art direction in photography as well as its lovely taste in typography. It features some of the last decade’s biggest male celebrities including Ewan McGregor, Tom Ford, Helmut Lang and David Beckham and includes photography by renowned photographers such as Juergen Teller, Bruce Weber and Wolfgang Tillmans.

El Internacional (1984-1986): New York’s Archaeological Sandwich

One of my most admired studios ever is Bendita Gloria. One of its latest projects is a book about El Internacional, a restaurant by artist Antoni Miralda that became an iconic symbol of New York in the 1980s through its exploration of cross-cultural, trans-disciplinary aesthetics. The book mixes all kind of content, such as photographs, drawings, letters, etc and it’s a magnificent example of how an artist book can combine the work of the artist (the content of the publication) with a strong and unique design by a graphic designer (the continent).

Salva López: Illa (Island)

In 2007, being a graphic designer, Salva López became obsessed with photography. Since then he’s turned it into his profession, leaving behind his career as a graphic designer and becoming one of the most talented photographers in Spain. Illa showcases beautiful photographs that Salva shot during his travel to Lanzarote as a kind of therapy after breaking up with his girlfriend (luckily they are back together!). We love the content as well as the production of the book.