It'a Time to Think About Time

Irene Ghillani — the creator of our latest cover — tells us about the genesis of the illustration and her experience as an illustrator

According to French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, the perception of time and its flow are a central element of the human condition. For this issue of Time to Time we asked illustrator Irene Ghillani to translate onto paper her own interpretation of the passing of time and of the way our vision of the present is inevitably shaped by the past.
The result is an imaginary work in which objects, people, and symbols belonging to different historical periods coexist within a single scene, creating a dialogue between past and present. The cover becomes a visual narrative that invites the reader to reflect on the relationship between what we have been, what we are, and what we might become.

Was illustration always a passion of yours?

I have been drawing since I was very young. I studied Fashion at university, thinking that was my world, but true passions always come back. During my early working years in Milan, I started drawing again and felt a strong need to gradually make it my main profession.
How has the profession evolved especially with the arrival of digital tools?
With more digital tools available, many more people have gravitated toward illustration, creating a much larger and more varied market. My work, although digital, always starts from traditional methods — books, pencil sketches — before moving to the iPad and Photoshop.

What are the biggest creative challenges, and what defines your style?

Black outlines and flat campiture fills have always characterised my work, alongside floral elements, moons, stars, and a touch of irony. The biggest challenge is renewing myself project after project without abandoning my aesthetic identity.

How did the idea for the cover come about?

I started from Escher's idea of parallel dimensions transcending physical reality. From there came the blending of classical art with hyper-modern architecture — a back-and-forth between past and present that characterises Italy's great cities. I included a small hourglass inside the statue of ‘Grande Toscano’ in Milan to convey this passage of time.

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