From the imaginative mind of Madrid based illustrator Juan Carlos Paz (aka Bakea) comes an endearing world of very friendly freaks. Whether he’s illustrating, building or drawing, his works feature a familiar current: near cuddly creatures with no shortage of yellow, googly eyes. His surrealistic creations are in no way scary, but rather like the characters you’d find in Monsters Inc. – ready to make you laugh and be your buddy.
Interestingly, and this is unique, Bakea mixes in a healthy dose of retro/hipster cool into his strange monster filled world: horn rimmed glasses, mustaches and a healthy dose of film grain mix well with his subjects, only making them seem more familiar and agreeable. His work often remixes the real world, placing his characters in settings and situations which we could walk though ourselves.
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Not limiting himself to two dimensions, Bakea also creates some seriously cool trophy busts for the wall complete with (surprise!) multiple yellow eyes. One of his creations looks like some sort of sad, horned yeti, who looks a little shocked to be mounted on the wall. Currently working as a freelance illustrator, you can find out more about Bakea and his strange imaginary worlds on his Tumblr or connect with him though Linkedin.
Curious to see Bakea himself? Here’s his self-portrait:
