Ana Jarén

 Ana Jarén has a degree in Advertising and Public Relations, and works as a freelance illustrator. Her striking drawings present us with fun moments, punchy patterns layered with details. Her career began in the fashion industry as a communication executive, working closely with designers, and soon Ana was imagining and drawing fabrics and clothing of her own. The printed patterns and cut of the clothing are given special care in Ana's work. Her style comes through strongly in each carefully crafted image, fabrics printed with juicy colours and rendered in ink with the utmost respect. We feel the soft folds of the cotton worn by her subjects as we glimpse a fleeting gulp of coffee, in a well appointed room. Often choosing to draw women, Ana's subjects are relaxed, engaged with daily tasks, apparently oblivious to our voyeuristic gaze. Although sitting together, the people in these illustrations appear to be individually joyful, dreamily looking into the distance or meditatively chewing a bagel. Food is a force of nature in all of Ana Jarén's drawings, as table tops overflow with delicious dishes. She piles her tables high with every treat one could desire, underlining modern Americana with an abundance of choice, mustard or ketchup, pumpkin or blueberry, a mug of coffee or just a teacup?  Her New York print is no exception as we see towers of buttery pancakes stacked up beside window views of towering skyscrapers of Soho. The pair consume coffee, deeply filled signature sandwiches, and pies along with literature and broadsheets, relaxing with the finest fare that the city boasts at their fingertips. The sensations and aromas of delicious food can form vivid memories that can transport us elsewhere in a single moment. The overwhelming sounds and perpetual motion of this city can be captured in the bite of a hotdog, and revisited for a lifetime.