Speaking with Designer & Illustrator, Ana Zaja Petrak

Ana Zaja Petrak is a designer come illustrator who creates beautiful minimalist images filled with colour and character.

In our latest Azutura interview, we were lucky enough to speak to Ana and discuss her work, her mover from graphic design to illustration, her love of food and much more.

Hi Ana, thanks for taking the time to speak to us. Can you start off by introducing yourself and telling us about your life?

I am a graphic designer and illustrator based in Zagreb, Croatia. After completing a degree in graphic design at the Faculty of Architecture/School of Design, I spent many years working as a graphic designer. Then came a moment when I decided to go back to the activity that I have always loved the most: drawing. This is when my career in illustration began.

What’s a typical day in the life of Ana Zaja Petrak like?

I work partly at home and partly at the studio. My computer and my printer are at home and in the studio, I only have drawing tools, paper and a record player. The middle of the day is always reserved for lunch with my family.

How and when did you first become interested in art?

I believe my interest in art was a natural development as I grew up surrounded by art. My mother is an author and my stepfather and older brother are both movie directors.

Our house was always full of creative people. My parents socialized with all kinds of artists.

Growing up, I was exposed to their work and surrounded by creativity. I started drawing as a child and I drew wherever I could; on paper, walls and clothes.

What was the change from design to illustration like? What sparked the change?

I believe that motherhood was the catalyst behind that change. That is a moment when you start questioning your priorities and life seems to start anew. My main concern was: “What do I really want to do?” I didn’t find much gratification and excitement in the work I was doing.

Illustration is much more personal. You have great freedom in expression and I really like that. Becoming a professional illustrator is the best decision I’ve ever made.

Can you walk us through your creative process from how you come up with your initial idea through to the finished piece? What do you use to create your work?

I always start with felt pens and paper. I sometimes scan some of the elements I’ve drawn and continue to work on the computer or I make a collage.

My work is mostly a combination of analogue and digital techniques and what guides me to the final version is my internal process of simplification. I remove all the unnecessary elements, colours and details until that moment when I realize everything looks just right. Everything good and beautiful is very simple in essence.

Lately, I’ve been experimenting more with different techniques outside the digital medium because analogue techniques contain a certain dose of imperfection, spontaneity and authenticity, all of which I adore.

What drew you to the subject of food?

This is another area in which my family has played a crucial role. We have always loved good food. Honest, home-made food, my grandmother’s family feasts and the whole family gathered around the common table are some of my earliest memories.

My love for food and art merged into what is now my job. There is a special energy to be found in gastronomy and also an emotional value connecting people. This is something I am fascinated by.

Do you cook much yourself? What’s your favourite dish?

I cook every day and I enjoy it. For me, cooking is a very creative and meditative experience.

I have many favourite dishes and I keep discovering new ones. Considering it’s winter, at the moment I am very fond of Istrian minestrone. It’s a traditional Istrian hearty soup.

What else inspires your work?

I am inspired by nature, music, movies and the Mediterranean, as well as the simple beauty of ordinary life. Also, I admire the work of some great painters.

Your style is simple yet eye-catching. How did you develop it?

I always try to use as few elements as possible and they need to be very clear and strong. This is something I learned working as a graphic designer. I think that the period I spent working in that field has left a strong mark on my style and defined it in a certain sense.

Can you tell us a little about your amazing use of colour?

I adore colours and I notice them everywhere. Combining colours has always been exciting and I pay a lot of attention to it.

I am quite bold in colour use in my illustrations because I am very fond of strong, open colours. Colours, just like food, have a great emotional value and power.

If you weren’t an illustrator and designer, what career would you have pursued?

I’d probably be a psychologist, a cook or a perfumer.

What advice would you give to an aspiring designer?

Always stay curious and continue to learn.

What’s the future looking like? Anything big on the horizon?

I am in the process of creating illustrations for a very interesting cookbook with recipes based on the works of a world-renowned author. At the same time, I am preparing a small exhibition of a series of serigraphs which I have been making with my husband who is also a graphic designer.