Ana Duje
Tell us a little about yourself, where you live and a bit about your life at this moment in time?
I'm from a small town in the province of Córdoba, Argentina. I moved to Barcelona in 2016, then lived in Asia (Hong Kong, mainly) in 2018-2019. I'm now back in Barcelona and living with my partner, we have two cats named Tokyo and Mila. I love traveling (who doesn't!), so you might find me somewhere else soon :)
How long have you been an artist for? Was it something you always wanted to do?
I've been a graphic designer (including a bit of illustration) for about 10 years, a freelance illustrator for 5 years, and I think I've only started considering myself an "artist" since 2020 or something like that.
If you weren’t an artist, what would you do instead?
Realistically, probably an interior designer... But dreaming is for free, so I could also say a filmmaker or musician :)
What’s happening in your near future?
Personally, a lot of changes in my life (that I'll keep for myself for now!). Professionally, I'm looking at getting representation from an agency, which I've never done before and I think is a logical/necessary step for my career (maybe by the time this is published, I will have already found one!).
What has been your career highlight so far?
I think that answer changes depending on what you're taking as a parameter (client size? project type? money? opportunity to get exposure? etc), but I would probably say (even though it's not the biggest client I've had) that the Spring Campaign I made for Lotte Duty Free in South Korea was one of the moments when I felt the most proud of myself. I got to go there and see my work in shopping malls, airports...it was the first time that I had my work displayed in a physical medium, and it gave my art a little recognition in Asia, which opened the door for other collaborations with bigger clients.