Why eschewing references was key to Yousef Sabry’s dreamlike illustrations for Acne Paper

In just one month, Egyptian artist Yousef Sabry turned around what would be his biggest project to date: 30 pages of illustrations for the new Acne Paper publication, themed around the Age of Aquarius. Counting himself “extremely lucky” for the creatively fulfilling commission, the Cairo-born creative was tasked with illustrating the cover – which folds out into a poster – as well as the inner pages of a unique book-magazine hybrid. Spanning 500 pages in total, the relaunched issue is the first since 2015, returning from a hiatus with a reimagined design, format and direction. 

Sabry had never worked on a project of this scale before, let alone been given the freedom to be completely himself throughout the entirety of the process. Yet a global cohort of illustration judges thought the results were magical; so much so that the issue, Acne Paper 16: Age of Aquarius, has been awarded two Pencils – Wood and Graphite – plus a shortlist in the Magazine & Newspaper Design, Special Issue Covers category. Here, the interdisciplinary artist talks to D&AD about the booming Egyptian creative scene, how he tackled such a mammoth project, and the importance of following your intuition.

“The illustration scene is booming right now,” Sabry says of his home country, Egypt. But this hasn’t always been the case. “We are unfortunately in a position where we compare ourselves to the West, and we’re stepping up our game,” he continues. “Ever since the revolution in 2011, there’s a lot of raw power and energy; we’re just trying to do our best and support each other.”

Before returning to Cairo, Sabry spent time in London attending Central Saint Martins and Goldsmiths – an experience which he counts as a key catalyst for this growth. It was while studying his foundation that he made a new friend, who now works at Acne Paper, and years later she pushed for Sabry to guest illustrate the new issue. Not only has Sabry set up the very first Riso printing studio in Egypt, named Rizo Masr, he’s also built a portfolio replete with illustrated media collaborations and projects with fashion designers, publishers, design agencies and jewellers. 

However, if he hadn’t networked with his peers during his time at university, Sabry may never have reached this point in his career. “Even if you're not really putting yourself out there, you can always rely on your friends,” he adds. “I’m actually one of the very lucky few Egyptians who has been able to be recognised on an international scale because of this one opportunity”.

Sabry’s style is unique, featuring drippy figures and anthropomorphic shapes that are drenched in colourful, 70s-infused textures. His trick for carving such a distinctive style – one that’s easily identified as Yousef Sabry – is that he never uses any references. “There are a lot of visuals out there in the world, and the goal is to create very sincere and pure outcomes,” he notes. “I work from my mind.” 

This “special thing” proved utterly beneficial for the Acne Paper commission. When illustrating one of the articles – an interview piece about a lodge in LA, for example – Sabry would begin drawing and “see what happens”. The outcome ended up being spiritual and cultish, and very much his own. “After every article I’d show them what I had in mind,” says Sabry. “The team would be like, ‘Nice. Next one.’”

Sabry's fantastical illustrations look arduous and technical, but in reality they’re developed quickly. His tool of choice is an iPad, which he says has enabled him to develop his work much faster. “It made my life a whole lot easier because I’m an extremely impatient person; a lot of my style comes out of that impatience, and the desire to pump things out versus being too precious with anything.”

By working this way, Sabry was able to meet the one-month deadline for Acne Paper. If he hadn’t worked digitally, then it would not have been achievable. “I literally started on the plane to London,” he explains, having revisited his flat in the city for the duration of the project. Sabry completed the cover in two weeks, and everything else in the other two. A “sublime” process to have embarked on, Sabry admits how the iPad was his ultimate tool. “I was really lucky that I used Procreate, as the maximum canvas was the exact size of the poster that they needed.”

Drawing people is a challenge in itself, but Sabry makes it look easy. When developing the figures featured throughout Acne Paper, he purposefully trod the line between “technical craftsmanship and surrealist attitude,” he shares. In turn, this produced something far from accurate or representational: the characters are Sabry’s own surrealist creations. “They’re not intentional and that’s the beauty of it.” 

When it came to illustrating the horoscopes, however, this followed a slightly different process. Most will know the imagery associated with the zodiac (more or less), so Sabry needed to find a balance between originality and familiarity. “I realised that people are just going to see what they want to see,” he says. “As long as I’m not too offbeat – the Aquarius definitely needs a pot of water, and the Libra definitely needs something balancing.” Sabry is a Virgo himself, and admits that this particular star sign is the only one that breaks the mould a little. “I just drew myself in the cosmos.”

The project was a massive deal for the illustrator. Not only was it the first time he’d designed illustrated type – “the more experimental parts of the gig” – he’d also never worked on a book-magazine hybrid. But Sabry never let the pressure get the better of him, and the freedom to be completely himself is what allowed him to flourish. “If there was ever the greatest metamorphosis between a book and magazine, this would be it. It’s one big episodic journey – a great book but also very structured, much like a magazine. You can take it in with one breath, or break it down.”