Jun Ioneda art wallpapers for download

“I've always been a child who drew, I have that history of picking up the paper, drawing on the walls, etc. (...) I really wanted to be a manga artist when I was a child."

He was encouraged by his parents, which he considers crucial to his development. As he entered adulthood, Jun turned away from manga in search of a more “serious” career, finding in design a way to apply his skills pragmatically.

“I saw design as a way for me to use the skills I had to do something more, in quotes, adult.”

This choice, however, took him away from illustration for a while, due to the demands of college, work and social life. After graduating in design, he tried to return to illustration, reconciling both areas in his professional life.

He founded BARCA, initially dedicated to illustration and design, but now focused solely on illustration. This decision reflects his search for artistic expression and a workflow more suited to his lifestyle. Jun works with clients on various projects, often collaborating with other illustrators, but also cultivates a parallel career dedicated to authorial work.

At BARCA, he creates a style of illustration that meets the client's needs, which requires strategic thinking similar to that of design.

BARCA also represents a more “marketing” side to his career, with a focus on advertising projects, in contrast to his authorial work, which reflects his personal vision.

“In my personal work, I rescue elements from my childhood, such as Japanese culture, video games, and also incorporate a little more humor into my illustrations.”

His authorial works represent a recovery of elements from his childhood, such as Japanese culture, humor and video games, which he initially rejected because he believed they would have no professional value. This reconnection with his passions has boosted his career.

For Jun, there is a difficulty in delimiting the boundaries between design and illustration, since his authorial work, although focused on illustration, incorporates design elements, such as visual identity.

Despite working on commercial projects, Jun is concerned with maintaining authenticity and consistency with his personal values, refusing work that he considers harmful to his image or that conflicts with his convictions.

“Artificial intelligence needs regulation. For us to understand where it's going, today it's a bit of a no-man's land and that reflects a lot on how illustration clients see this process. The illustrator has an expression that can't be replaced by artificial intelligence. An artificial intelligence input won't have a background, it won't have a conceptual charge.”

With the impact of generative artificial intelligence, regulation is needed to protect the illustration market. Jun highlights the importance of human connection in art, something that AI, even if technically capable, may have difficulty replicating.

Jun believes that creating is a form of non-verbal communication, both in authorial work, in which he expresses his personal universe, and in commercial projects, where he acts as a spokesperson for the client.

When it comes to building an artistic identity, Jun emphasizes the importance of self-knowledge and confidence for developing artists. It takes courage on the creative journey.

“So I think it's nice to be able to pass this on to people, because I know how complicated it is for an artist trying to find themselves, to have that, again, that confidence to take the step and move on and do your own thing is important, you know?”

Jun defines his vision of art as a way of materializing what goes on in the mind and trying to connect with other people's inner selves, seeking communication that transcends the limitations of words.

And that's what he does as a teacher at Aprender Design and at LABASAD.

“As a teacher, I try to help my students find their own styles and develop confidence in their abilities.”

Follow Jun on social media: instagram, linkedin and website.

To download the wallpapers, click here.