federico babina’s illustrations transform metropolitan cityscapes into colorful patchworks

federico babina blends architecture, light, color, and sound into a rhythmic 'urban mosaic.'

federicobabina edited by christina vergopoulou November 13, 2024 4 min

Federico Babina’s Cityscape Reimagines 13 Metropolitan Cities

Federico Babina’s new illustration series, Cityscape, captures 13 portraits of metropolises, where each city is reimagined as a personal patchwork of urban elements. The Italian illustrator draws from details, forms, and symbols of cityscapes, reassembling them into spatially complex paintings that balance structure and spontaneity. These images are snapshots of the layered urban experience—a mosaic of streets, buildings, symbols, and open spaces woven into an intricate graphic plot.

federico babina's illustrations transform metropolitan cityscapes into colorful patchworks - 1 — all images courtesy of Federico Babina | Paris

Babina’s Portraits Capture the Dynamic Patchwork of City Life

Each portrait depicts a city’s unique rhythm, blending architecture, light, color, and sound into an ‘urban geography’ that expresses both reality and imagination. Like a postcard from a journey, these illustrations record impressions of cities as elaborate patchworks, where diverse pieces of urban fabric unite into a bold, cohesive image. The artist seeks to transform the chaos of everyday life into a structured yet lively order, portraying the vibrant interplay of shapes, colors, and relationships that define urban spaces.

federico babina's illustrations transform metropolitan cityscapes into colorful patchworks - 2 — Federico Babina’s Cityscape series reimagines 13 metropolises as intricate urban mosaics | New York

Federico Babina Reshapes Reality as collage of forms and colors

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s quote ‘The Beginning and end of all literary activity is the reproduction of the world that surrounds me by means of the world that is in me, all things being grasped, related, recreated, molded, and reconstructed in a personal form and original manner’ informs the artworks by illustrator Federico Babina, who reshapes the cities around him, molding them into original, imaginative representations. These 13 cityscapes invite viewers to experience the wonder and charm of cities as spaces that envelop, embrace, and reflect our daily lives.

federico babina's illustrations transform metropolitan cityscapes into colorful patchworks - 3 — each Cityscape illustration captures a unique patchwork of streets, symbols, and open spaces | Barcelona

federico babina's illustrations transform metropolitan cityscapes into colorful patchworks - 4 — Babina draws from urban elements, reconstructing them into structured yet spontaneous forms | London

federico babina's illustrations transform metropolitan cityscapes into colorful patchworks - 5 — these images showcase the layered urban experience—snapshots of bustling cities transformed into visual art | Roma

cityscape-metropolitan-patchworks-federico-babina-designboom-1800-2 — each portrait blends architecture, light, color, and sound into a rhythmic ‘urban geography’

federico babina's illustrations transform metropolitan cityscapes into colorful patchworks - 6 — inspired by cityscapes, Babina crafts a series of illustrations that capture the spirit of each metropolis | Berlin

federico babina's illustrations transform metropolitan cityscapes into colorful patchworks - 7 — Cityscape series portrays a dynamic interplay of shapes, colors, and spaces that define city life | Amsterdam

federico babina's illustrations transform metropolitan cityscapes into colorful patchworks - 8 — Babina reassembles urban forms into paintings that embody the wonder of city life | Brasilia

federico babina's illustrations transform metropolitan cityscapes into colorful patchworks - 9 — the series turns cities into imaginative and original expressions of reality and fantasy | Venezia

federico babina's illustrations transform metropolitan cityscapes into colorful patchworks - 10 — Cityscape explores urban elements as artistic mosaics of architecture, people, and places | Copenhagen

federico babina's illustrations transform metropolitan cityscapes into colorful patchworks - 11 — through Cityscape, viewers can feel the charm of cities as spaces that reflect, embrace, and enrich life | Tokyo

federico babina's illustrations transform metropolitan cityscapes into colorful patchworks - 12 — each piece invites viewers to explore cities as a tapestry of personal memories and everyday encounters | Lisboa

federico babina's illustrations transform metropolitan cityscapes into colorful patchworks - 13 — Babina recreates cities through his personal vision, molding them into unique scenes | Bologna

project info:

name: CITYSCAPE Metropolitan Patchworks

artist: Federico Babina | @fbabina

music composition: Cesc Miralta

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.