Monsters: Henrique Cayatte
Experimental Editorial Design & Risograph/Silkscreen Fanzine
Project Overview
Monsters is an experimental editorial series conceived during IADE’s Professional Exploration weeks to celebrate the "monsters" of Portuguese design - visionary creators whose bodies of work shaped national visual culture. Issue 2 pays tribute to Henrique Cayatte (1957–), a seminal Portuguese designer, illustrator, and curator.
01. The Designer: Henrique Cayatte
A graduate of the Escola Superior de Belas-Artes de Lisboa, Cayatte’s eclectic career bridges identity, literature, and civic design. He is widely recognized for designing the Portuguese Citizen Passport and national identity cards, illustrating celebrated children's classics ("A Girafa que comia estrelas", "O Cavaleiro da Dinamarca"), and directing major cultural exhibitions like Expo '98 and Hannover 2000.
02. Editorial Concept & Narrative
The layout translates Cayatte's universe into a whimsical, poetic tribute: In his world... "camels are wise, raindrops have a life of their own, rivers flow backward into the sunrise, and giraffes eat stars". The fanzine interlaces his political and civic works with his surreal, innocent storytelling illustrations.
03. Graphical Synthesis & Iconography
The visual language references his iconic editorial covers (Expresso, Público, Ler, Egoísta, Diário de Notícias) and cultural pavilions. Using organic clouds, primary color-blocked landscapes, and stippled dot textures, the publication captures the playful yet authoritative balance characteristic of Cayatte's aesthetic.
04. Layout Architecture & Hierarchy
The fanzine experiments with asymmetric compositions, bold typography, and visual fragments of Portuguese institutional symbols. Elements like the geometric radiating lines of the national passport are paired against loose, hand-drawn motifs, setting up dynamic tension across the printed spreads.
05. Screenprinting & Limited Edition Print
Produced at IADE’s Print Lab, the tactile quality of the fanzine honours traditional print methods. The physical layering of inks highlights the artisanal foundation of Portuguese graphic arts while cementing Cayatte’s legacy for the next generation of designers.
