Thom Cuschieri — Interview

With the Malta Community of Illustrators Annual 2023 Deadline fast approaching (extended until the 14th of July) we would like to introduce you to our third and final judge in this year’s panel.

Thom Cuschieri is a Senior Lecturer in Illustration at the University of Hertfordshire, where he oversees the final year BA and MA illustration cohorts. His professional work draws on his background in mathematics and geometry, and he is particularly interested in concepts that lie at the intersection of art, mathematics and literature.

Thom Cuschieri in his studio.

What do you specialise in?

My work always has a narrative component, and I’m particularly interested in the interplay between pictures and words. On the research side I’ve studied the work of Edward Gorey a lot, and his ideas (if not his aesthetic) permeate my own work — the interplay of the poetic and the absurd, and the way in which a single sentence and a single, small drawing can conjure up a whole epic tale.

Edward Gorey Etching. Image Via: https://www.edwardgoreyhouse.org/pages/edward-gorey-etchings

What are your favourite subjects to draw, and what media do you usually work in?

I like people in costume, especially clergymen: love a good mitre and crosier outfit. I guess it’s the Catholic upbringing: the imagery is embedded in my psyche. Materials-wise I love all physical materials (ink + dip pens, 8B pencils, crummy pastels etc) on yellowed, aging paper (I have a stack that I try to store in direct sunlight to age faster! Not always possible in the UK).

I also like low-tech printmaking: rubber stamps, tetrapak printing, lino. All this usually gets worked on in physical layers using a light box, then scanned and composed in Photoshop. I do often work entirely digitally sometimes, but I find it hard to do my best work without involving physical tools at some stage.

Can you show us a project of yours that you’re particularly proud of? We would also love to see some of your students’ works.

As a personal project project I’m very fond of this series of paintings from ages ago that I’d like to revisit. At the time it was me trying to figure out new things, inspired by a recent obsession with early-Renaissance painters such as Fra Angelico. I’ve done a few more since then, but the project hasn’t coalesced yet. They’re paintings inspired by imaginary chess moves — again, at once absurd and tragic (or, at least, that’s the aim). Maybe this summer will be the right time to revisit.

The Forgetful Queen, Revisited. Via Thom Cuschieri’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CF2aaGCBswb/

On the teaching side, I’m always blown away by the degree show work of my graduating cohort — and this year is no exception. It makes all the hard work worthwhile when you see someone’s work start to click and take on a life of its own. You can see some of the work here.

Artwork by Bekz Steel. Image Via: https://www.bekzsteel.com/tinytown2

Artwork by Valerya Milov. Image Via: https://www.instagram.com/valerya.milov/

Can you mention one of your favourite illustrators? What makes their work stand out to you?

I’m completely smitten with the work of the Spanish illustrator Jesus Cisneros. His handling of colour & of simple materials is so effortlessly joyous. I have a copy of the Folio Society edition of The Alchemist, illustrated by him and every spread is just magical. His practice is such that there is an entirely blurred line between his sketchbook and his professional output, and this is something I still strive to achieve — I find the notion of breaking down the distinction between a preparatory drawing and “finished piece” very appealing.

Artworks by Jesus Cisneros. Images via: https://www.instagram.com/jesus.cisneros.ilustrador/?hl=en

If you had to mentor an illustrator who was just starting out, what advice would you give them?

In terms of tangible, practical advice I would say: learn how to make your work move & make sure you know how to draw people (!). Both of these stem from conversations with creative directors and book publishers over recent months.

Also, I would say keep an eye on your relationship with social media and try not to let it shape your visual language. It’s tough these days, because there’s so much great stuff to look at, but your voice needs to be allowed to emerge on its own terms — and this will happen within the pages of your sketchbook (physical or digital) when you draw incessantly without worrying about “style”.

Are you a Maltese illustrator or a non-Maltese illustrator who is based in Malta? We are documenting the best Maltese illustration year after year! Submit your work here.