Illustrator Reimagines Modernist Masterpieces in Stylish Architectural Drawings

Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens of Baltimore

If you are an art and architecture lover looking for the perfect print to decorate your home, the work of Studio Sander Patelski might be just the thing. Patelski creates vibrant pieces inspired by modernist architecture and design. His catalog includes stylized versions of iconic buildings like Case Study House No. 8 by Charles and Ray Eames and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum by Frank Lloyd Wright. He also recreates stylish modern interiors, fictional façades, and more conceptual compositions of colors and shapes.

Patelski's artistic process begins with a deep dive into his chosen subject matter. “When I come across a building or interior I like to do, I gather as much material as I can find,” the artist tells My Modern Met. “…I want to ‘understand’ the building or space as much as I can before I start the drawing.”

Kisho Kurokawa, The Nakagin Capsule Tower, 1972

Patelski does not have a background in architecture. His series came from a shortage of freelance work and an abundance of time felt by many artists due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When this happened, the artist finally got the chance to draw the early and mid-century modern styles he had always appreciated. Though Patelski shares that his favorite piece is often the one he has most recently completed, the series allowed him to study the architecture of Juan O’Gorman. He is now especially fond of these drawings in his series. One O’Gorman inspired piece—Casa Estudio de Frida Kahlo—is included in this article.

After so many pieces, Patelski has developed a library full of interesting textures and overlays. “I use a lot of halftone patterns because they make the illustration more vibrant,” he explains. “Also I keep in the rough sketch. It’s always nice to see the drawing come to life when I start adding the shading, and start playing the colors.”

Patelski says that he will soon bring his two-dimensional drawings to a new medium starting with small sculptures inspired by his composition studies and fictional façades. Be sure to keep up with him on his website for new prints and this alternative medium in the near future.