Asis Percales

Andalusian artist Asis Peracles is interested in the fantastic and bizarre world of retro print media. His rebellious style has the aesthetics of South American iconography,  incorporating classic old school tattoo elements.  Roses, daggers, wild beasts and pin-ups feature throughout his prints. Calavera skulls give us flavours of Dia de los Muertos, as tattooed carnival performers run riotously through the bright, Cumbia folk music poster designs of Columbia. 

Asis takes inspiration from the early screen and wood block printing of vintage medical diagrams, travelling geek and freak shows, circus advertisements and religious iconography. The two dimensional world of early poster design was made to catch the eye, with spaces crammed with texture, text and lurid colours. In Asis' work, the heavy black outlines and limited colour palettes of these vintage posters are blended perfectly with the graphic flash imagery of American old school and naval tattoos. Building on these diverse traditions, he has freshened the look, adding more texture, saturated colours and contemporary references. The traditional daggers and swallows in his illustrations sit next to diamond topped knuckle dusters and cherry cupcakes. Above all, Asis captures a sense of individuality, vitality and free abandon in his illustrations, putting the playful and macabre on a show.