“I just leaned on to the Filipiniana, the florals, ganoong beauty kasi I just want to make things that give me comfort and maybe give other people comfort, too,” says award-winning illustrator and designer Addi Panadero Illustrator and designer Addi Panadero has a work-life balance any creative, myself included, wishes to have. He’s employed full-time at worker-owned creative collective And A Half, takes on personal and freelance projects, and gets recognition for those, too. Panadero, known for his soft imagery reminiscent of fairy tales and illustrations replete with Filipiniana elements, has been with the branding and design studio since 2015, right out of college.
As its creative director and designer, he’s worked on brands like Cebuana Lhuillier Gold, Straightforward, and Archipelago Botanical Gin , for which he together with his colleagues Kay Aranzaso and Mark Andres designed a letras y figuras set inspired by the liquor’s botanicals from various parts of the country. He’s also illustrated several books, including “ Cely’s Crocodile: The Art and Story of Araceli Limcaco Dans,” a retelling of the renowned Filipino artist’s contributions to Filipino wartime efforts during World War II written by Gabriela Dans Lee. It was among the awardees in the Best Reads category at the 7th National Children’s Book Award.
His 2022 book “Bahay: A Tour of Traditional Filipino Homes,” a well-researched and interactive cut-and-build reference book on iconic Filip.