Iraia Okina

Illustrator

©Faltaban

Acrylic, watercolour and collage: textured storytelling

Iraia grew up in an environment surrounded by painters and art books
Her first illustrations were used in a book by Peru Magdalena
She has been working in the attic studio of her home since 2005

As a child, Iraia Okina took drawing lessons and had the opportunity to learn from the renowned, now late, artist Manuel Balsa 'El Ruso' at the Museum of Reproductions in Bilbao. After completing her fine arts degree, she continued her research in a self-taught manner, experimenting with different styles and graphic techniques to develop her own visual identity. "I can see that my tastes are constantly evolving, and I continue to practise and explore new ways of expression," she says. "What I enjoy most is experimenting with different styles and materials." Iraia works with mixed media, such as watercolours, ink, acrylics, and oil paints. She combines both analogue and digital techniques to complete her pieces. "I create different textures by hand to give my illustrations an organic and unique feel, then I scan them, add colour, and create different compositions in Photoshop," she explains.

Interview

Did art feature in your childhood?: I grew up in an environment where creativity was highly valued. My father, uncle, grandfather, and great-uncle are all painters, so art has been a constant presence in my home. From them, I learned that creativity can be an important source of joy in life.
Did you know from an early age that you wanted to draw professionally?: Drawing has been my passion since childhood. However, it was a fine arts professor who opened my eyes to illustration. He told me that my personal style was ideal for storytelling. The idea that my illustrations could tell stories and become my profession appealed to me. That was the first time I saw a future as an illustrator.
How did you get started in the publishing world?: I put together a small portfolio and visited a couple of publishing houses. At Elkar publishing, I met the writer Joxan Ormazabal, with whom I won the Etxepare award. That recognition encouraged me to continue and made me realise that I could dedicate myself exclusively to illustration.
How do you combine analogue and digital techniques?: I always start by exploring different materials, searching for new ways to express my ideas. Although at first, I avoided digital tools, I now draw everything by hand and then create digital collages. I like the results, and it allows me to experiment with different compositions.

Iraia Okina is a master artisan: she began her career in 1999 and she started teaching in 2010