“Every tiny, mundane experience is cosmic”: Visual artist Ilka Gilvesy avoids the pristine

Working between graphic design and illustration, Ilka Gilvesy occupies an intriguing, unconventional space. She combines and challenges mediums, methods and messages, resulting in a portfolio that is, above all else, tactile. Ilka designs with an aversion to anything too pristine: “I blend digital and analogue techniques to give my work texture – for me, a project’s feel is essential,” she says. “I find it hard to let everything lay flat and perfect without a trace of the hand that created it.” This approach is applied across every tool she can get her hands on – from pastels, pencils, and Risograph to felt tip pens, InDesign and Illustrator.

With such a range of creative outlets and ideas, Ilka often questions the definition of her practice. “Increasingly, I sense myself departing from my current titles and see myself as a visual artist,” she says. “I use my creativity to reflect on what I find to be overwhelming,” opting for a powerfully sensitive, almost meditative approach to expression. “Every tiny, mundane experience is cosmic and fascinating – even magic.”

For Ilka, creativity exists as an expression that’s both personal and profoundly communal. “The people I surround myself with are the greatest influences in my life,” she shares. And while she draws inspiration from the work of others – naming Tibor Kalman as a formative influence – Ilka’s creative roots are also entwined with her family. “I started in fashion and pivoted towards graphic design,” she explains, pointing to an unexpected catalyst, her father. “I have my father to thank for my first real project – a champagne label designed for his winery,” Ilka concludes, “since then, we’ve worked together.”