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An illustration of Donald Trump sitting at a desk, using a computer mouse. On the screen, a game shows two figures on opposite cliffs with the caption “Donald Trump’s playing worms” above.

Acacio Ortas’ hand-drawn illustrations are a trip into the bizarre

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Date
4 July 2016

French illustrator and designer Acacio Ortas’ strange hand-drawn illustrations have a comic book feel about them, as though panels from different strips have been extracted and compiled together in his portfolio. From a man playing a bizarre harp/pipe instrument to Donald Trump playing Worms on the PC, the disconnected, random nature of Acacio’s work increases the ambiguity making it all the more intriguing. 

The obvious line markings and brush strokes have a whimsy about them and it’s like being invited directly into the illustrator’s sketchbook. We featured Acacio’s more graphic-based work last summer and he’s still creating these 90s-esque computer images, all with sublime gradients and rad word art.

An illustration of a person sitting cross-legged on a red and black patterned rug. They play a surreal, yellow stringed instrument that curves around them, with one end resting in their mouth.
Above

Acacio Ortas

An illustration of two people sitting outdoors. One person crouches to examine the other's foot, which is emitting a cloud of white smoke. A speech bubble above them contains French text that translates to “Oh my friend, you are not spoiled, it is a nightmare, I will no longer be able to help you.”
Above

Acacio Ortas

An illustration of two bald figures in blue robes sitting opposite each other at a small table. They share a single long noodle from a bowl, which stretches between their mouths. Above them floats a large, swirling blue oval.
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Left

Acacio Ortas

An illustration of a person seen from behind, holding a phone to their ear. They stand in front of a large, yellow, harp-like instrument with a blue horn attached to the side. The artist’s name, “acacio ortas”, is written in lowercase at the bottom right.
An illustration of a person lying flat on their back on a brown landscape. They are tied with ropes to a grey brick wall, stretching their body taut against a blue and orange sunset sky.
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Acacio Ortas

An illustration of two people working in a garden, separated by a tall grey stone wall. One person rakes a sandy area while the other digs into brown soil. A third person stands behind the wall, looking on while holding a folded map.
Above

Acacio Ortas

An illustration of a person in a green T-shirt and blue jeans standing on a yellow beach. They look towards a swirling blue portal floating above the ocean between two blue palm trees.
Above

Acacio Ortas

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About the Author

Rebecca Fulleylove

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Rebecca Fulleylove is a freelance writer and editor specialising in art, design and culture. She is also senior writer at Creative Review, having previously worked at Elephant, Google Arts & Culture, and It’s Nice That.

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