By Farrah Berrou

In the days of Wacom tablets and Apple pencils, we have forgotten the beauty of creating with our hands. Since April 2016, the Vittoriano complex in Rome has hosted the Alphonse Mucha exhibit curated by Tomoko Sato. Featuring an extensive collection of the Czech artists work, it is an impressive spectacle of the artist/graphic designer’s development as a visual communicator. Sometimes referred to as the “father of Art Nouveau,” Mucha’s work has recognizable trademarks that have made him a favorite among GD students worldwide: whimsical hand lettering, floral ornamentation, and an appreciation for luscious locks. By looking at his work you will understand why “Farrah, you have Mucha hair” was one of the best compliments I’ve ever received.

The exhibition has sketches showing Mucha’s process as well as the dissection of each communicative piece – the context of the female heroine that he depicts as a goddess with gorgeous hair and effortless attractive appeal. As most creatives would agree, the process is more interesting than the final product and the sheer size of the work is always shocking when witnessed in person. After creating a poster for Gismonda, Sarah Bernhardt signed a contract with him for 6 years – he was that good. His posters are the envy of the designers who slave away on Illustrator trying to emulate that same fervor using the pen tool and anchor points.

The exhibition will be on until September 11th, 2016 and costs 13 E (or 17 E if you go to the Barbie exhibit too) for students.