Capturing a sense of vulnerability is what illustrator Mark Conlan does best

New beginnings can be a fantastic source of ideas and creative energy for an illustrator. Mark Conlan is an artist whose journey began in Dublin as an animator. He moved to London for six years and worked as a graphic and digital designer. Nine years in Melbourne saw him morph into an illustrator, where he truly discovered his creative voice. And now he's back in Dublin—refreshed once again and adding to a portfolio already full of inspiring pieces.

One of his most significant projects since returning home has been A Better City 2024, an urban art celebration of the idea of 'spark', which also included works by Claire Prouvost, Sophia Vigne Welsh, Ruan van Vliet, Bebhinn Eilish, and Gavin Connell. Unveiled in March, it celebrates the city's creativity, diversity, and shared culture through street art.

Mark's work comprised five illustrations for the adjoining window recesses of the Guinness Storehouse, which fuse his own creative style with elements from Dublin's history and culture. "One of the biggest challenges was bringing my style through the means of two colours per artwork for a large scale outdoors. Translating a concept that looked tidy in a sketchbook onto a huge, angled window recess required thought, from scaling up the composition to ensuring the artwork all worked together harmoniously in a series," says Mark.

Connecting creatively with the community and environment he grew up in was important for Mark and a new bold step in his creative journey. He's a thoughtful artist whose approach is very much about storytelling and finding emotional resonance through imagery.

"I draw inspiration from the vulnerability of nature, fleeting moments of human interaction with the world around us, and the bold spectrum of colours that can evoke entire moods and memories," he says. "Whether I'm working digitally or with analogue materials, my goal is to capture an emotional state – often a quiet, reflective feeling – and translate it visually."

While he loves the versatility of working digitally, his work always seems to have a natural, organic feel. Nonetheless, he is breaking the confines of digital creativity by creating more canvases with pencils, paint markers, ink, and brushes. "Compared to slick, overly polished visuals, there's something about the hand of the artist, its imperfections, personality, and warmth that resonates deeply with people," he says.

The contemplative nature of his work, his style, and what he depicts really do resonate with clients and their audiences, leading to commissions for everything from packaging to travel to pieces for global brands. His work is contemporary in feel yet individual and full of hidden depths. For example, his depiction of the human form feels anonymous and fluid, with elongated limbs and minimal features. There's a gentle dynamic to it.

"It strips away the specifics of identity, like facial features or detailed expressions, and focuses instead on body language and the emotional weight of a scene. Although lately, I have noticed a lot more expressions appearing in my characters again, although stripped back to minimal. I am not 100 per cent sure what that symbolises," he laughs.

Energised by his contribution to A Better City in Dublin, Mark's next dream project is to collaborate with a group of creatives from different disciplines to create a travelling exhibition that will visit the cities of the artists involved. "Art is about building relationships and creating shared experiences, and collaboration makes that all the more rewarding," he concludes.