MEET THE PRIDE COLLECTION ARTIST, JOSÉ RODA

In my Instagram bio, it says that I am a boy from Cornellà who makes drawings. I think that’‘s a good way to sum it up. I come from the outskirts of Barcelona, and since I was a child, I have always shown an interest in creativity and art. I graduated in audiovisual communication and then I did a postgraduate degree in graphic design applied to communication. When I finished my higher education, I came to Madrid to look for a job. It was in Madrid where I started to set out on my own, to draw, and to show it on social media. Little by little, I have developed a career as a freelance illustrator, which is what I do today. I have worked illustrating with clients such as the Barcelona City Council, the Government of Spain, the Madrid City Council, Google, FNAC, Loterías y Apuestas del Estado, Warby Parker, Instagram, Hoxton … and now BUFF®!  I have also published in written media, such as The Guardian, El País, and Forbes. 

I don’t believe in inspiration. I believe in obsession. On a formal level, I’m interested in everything simple, simple and fun. I always think that the simpler you explain or represent a certain idea, the more people will understand it, and that is my goal. I want to do things that many people—the more the merrier—can understand. At the level of substance, of content, I am interested in everything that has to do with the human experience, with the social, with celebration, with responsibility and empathy. For the tubular designs, I wanted to represent diversity, nature, and joy. Three essentials to talk about Pride, BUFF®, and my work.  

It depends a lot on the outcome, on the purpose of the work you are doing. I generally think, observe, and look for references in my own work or perhaps in that of other people that approximate what I want to do, where I want to go. I decide on the color palette and then sketch. If everything seems OK to me, I get down to work ASAP with the final drawing process. I am usually quite decisive and I try not to ramble too much in decision-making.  

I love walking and thinking, reading, sunbathing, and cycling. A getaway to the mountains and walk, walk, walk—that’s my dream! Movement is life. It is health. Physical activity, exercise, and sunlight are essential to feel healthy and energetic, and I try to integrate them into my daily routines as much as I can. 

Tomorrow is not guaranteed. I work on consciousness in everything I do, in the decisions I make, in the way I exist, consume, communicate, relate, and eat, in the leisure activities I practice … in everything. That makes me live more here and now, shy away from expectations, and it takes the pressure off things. As far as possible, I choose.  

I’m a huge fan of drag. Especially the NY drag scene. I’m passionate about it. 

I read the label on all food products when I shop.  

The quiet breakfast is sacred. I love getting up early, stretching out, preparing a good breakfast in advance, and enjoying it calmly and in silence. This is non-negotiable.