In Conversation: Emiliano Ponzi and Riccardo Vecchio on WORK IN PROGRESS

Join us for an insightful conversation between celebrated illustrator Emiliano Ponzi and artist Riccardo Vecchio as they explore Ponzi’s latest book, Work in Progress. Known for his striking digital illustrations for high-profile brands, magazines, and book covers, Ponzi has recently taken on a transformative creative journey—returning from digital illustration to painting on canvas. His new book chronicles this artistic evolution, revealing his exploration of new techniques, his curiosity for visual storytelling, and his commitment to sharing the creative process itself, not just the final product.

Work in Progress is a compelling exploration of Ponzi’s shift from digital to analog mediums and the personal insights that fuel his art, featuring behind-the-scenes images and texts from Maria Vittoria Baravelli, Steven Heller, and Damiano Gullì. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear directly from Ponzi about his artistic journey and the process of creating this unique and introspective book.

Emiliano Ponzi is an Italian illustrator, visual artist and author based in New York. He works for the editorial, magazine, fashion and advertising market. His clients include: Apple, Tiffany, Moma NY, The New York Times, The New Yorker, Lamborghini, Le Monde, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Martini, Hyundai, Pirelli, Tim, Barilla, Moleskine, San Pellegrino, Android, Airbnb, Lavazza, Bulgari, Penguin Books, Esquire, Armani, Uniqlo, Belmond, Loro Piana, Ducati, Zenith.

He has won numerous awards: multiple medals of honor (gold and silver) from the Society of Illustrators New York, the Young Guns Award and the coveted Gold Cube from The Art Directors Club of New York, the IDA Award, the MGIP Award. Awards of merit from American Illustration, Print, How international design.

He wrote and illustrated 4 books: The Journey of the Penguin (2015) for the anniversary of the Penguin Books publishing house, The Great New York Subway Map (2017) for the MoMa NY, American West (2018) as a chronicle of his journey into the West of the United States published first ad a travel diary on the New Yorker Instagram account and then as a collection book by Corraini, Chronicle from the Red Zone (2020), daily note on the first Italy Lockdown, published first as a column on the Washington Post and then as a limited edition book by Tapirulan.

Conferences and lectures in institutional and art related venues as New York MoMa (The Museum of Modern Art), Italian Cultural Institute il London, Madrid, Berlin, Pretoria, New York, Triennale Design Museum (Milano), SIPicturebook (Seoul), WebMarketing Festival (Rimini, Italy), Visual Play Ground (Bucarest), CCBF2023 (Shanghai, China).

Personal and group exhibitions include: Collezione Permanente della Farnesina (Rome),Open File, Shangai (China), Triennale di Milano, Mambo (Museo d’Arte Moderna) in Bologna, Gamec (Galleria d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea) in Bergamo, 7 gallery (The New York Times, New York), Italian Consulate in New York, Museum de Arte Moderna da Bahia (Brasile), NLB Galerija Avla, Ljubljana (SLOVENIA), Galerie Trieze-Dix (Paris), Mixed Melt Global (Seoul), SOI New York, Base Milano.

His latest solo shows are” “The Dreamer, Stories From Another World” hosted by the Sun Ke villa in Shanghai in 2023 and “In Principio era la fine” at the Marco Rossi galleries in Pietrasanta, Milano, Verona, Turino in 2024, “Together” at Philippe Labaune Gallery, New York, 2024

His latest art installations are “Under the Surface” commissioned by the Salone del Mobile for Design Week 2024, “Flower Up” at Glo hub for the Fuorisalone 2024 in Milano and “Believe” at the K11 Museum in Shanghai 2024

Born and raised in Milan and Germany, he came to New York in 1994 on a Fulbright scholarship to study at the School of Visual Arts. Since 1997, he has been part of the faculty there, and in 2023, he was appointed Chair of the MFA Illustration as Visual Essay program.

Photograph by Marco Rosella

Riccardo Vecchio’s diverse and acclaimed work has been featured in premier publications and brands worldwide, including The New Yorker, The New York Times, Der Spiegel, Vanity Fair, National Geographic, Corraini, Penguin Putnam, La Feltrinelli Editore (Italy), Der Spiegel (Germany), Die Zeit (Germany), Rolling Stone, Harper’s, The Smithsonian, Wired, Harvard, Columbia University, Criterion Collection, Adobe, BMW, American Express, FedEx, The Verve Music Group, American Movie Central, and several Broadway and off-Broadway productions among others.

His illustrations have earned numerous accolades, with frequent recognition in juried competitions like the American Illustration, Communication Arts, the Society of Illustrators, SPD, Print, D&AD Awards, Art Director’s Club, in collaboration with the Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin: Lead Awards Gold Medal for magazine contribution, Risk Award, New York Times Notable Op-Ed Art, Print Magazine. Vecchio’s painted works have also been exhibited in the U.S. and Europe. In 2022, he leveraged his art for environmental advocacy through a NYC Artist Corp Grant, creating a climate-focused public project, including a 42-foot mural in Brooklyn’s Dweck Gallery, commissioned by the Brooklyn Public Library. Vecchio’s dedication to education and artistic dialogue is reflected in his guest lecturing and panel engagements across renowned institutions like BMCC/CUNY, the Brooklyn Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the NYU Institute of Fine Arts.

Photograph by Nir Arieli