The @illustratorsireland group exhibition In Memory of the Future opened on 3rd August at DLR LexIcon in Dún Laoghaire, celebrating the work of Tomi Ungerer. I created this illustration as part of the show, inspired by Ungerer’s joyful, imaginative legacy and playful approach to design.
My piece was based on the Kindergarten Die Katze in Wolfartsweier, near Karlsruhe, Germany — a cat-shaped building that Ungerer designed with architect Ayla-Suzan Yndel. It stands as a lasting symbol of Franco-German friendship, created to encourage children to delight in going to school.
I was drawn to this subject for its sense of fun and creativity. The cat-shaped building feels like something from a picture book, blurring the line between play, imagination and the real world. I wanted the illustration to echo that, using bright colours, bold shapes and a simple, character-led composition.
I started with loose sketches to figure out how best to simplify the structure while still keeping it recognisable and engaging. From there, I worked digitally to refine the lines and select a palette that felt warm, cheerful and a little unexpected — playful without becoming too childlike. The curves and shapes of the building lent themselves well to a bold, graphic style, and I tried to balance simplicity with enough detail to hint at its architectural character.
The final illustration was exhibited alongside work by other illustrators, each responding to different aspects of Ungerer’s life and practice. It was a pleasure to be part of a show that highlighted the breadth of his influence and to celebrate illustration as a way of telling stories and sparking curiosity.
