Ionuț Rădulescu, a former #AlternativeSchool veteran, winner of the school’s logo competition more than a decade ago (propelling him directly on the Croisette, for TheLions), is now an accomplished designer, illustrator, and art director based in Brooklyn, New York. His work has received multiple accolades from American Illustration and Applied Arts Magazine, with his most recent recognition awarded in April 2025 for an outstanding series of collage and type-based visuals. His creative voice has been spotlighted in renowned publications and platforms including Creative Boom, The Graphic Artists Guild, The Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles, Design Arts Daily (DART), The Calvert Journal, Art Directors Club, AIGA Eye on Design, Teen Vogue, DesignSponge*, Showusyourtype, and FontsInUse. He served as a juror at The One Club for Creativity, also mentoring young talent during portfolio reviews. His intersection with academia was celebrated through a UNARTE collab with Stella Lie and her students. He has delivered talks and hosted creative workshops, including for Refinery29, a leading American media platform focused on women’s voices and culture. 

1. WHAT WOULD MAKE YOUR SOUL SING? WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?

As I grow older, I appreciate more and more my personal time, when I focus on my well-being, exercise, spending time with my partner, friends, and just being more present, and enjoy the moment. 

Its hard these days, when were all so anchored in the online and social media word. It definitely has its pros and cons.

2. A CHILDHOOD STORY THAT ANNOUNCED THE CREATIVE PERSON YOU ARE TODAY

My creative path began in childhood, I always loved drawing. I remember I was once drawing on asphalt with chalk for a school competition where I received the 1st prize. I forgot what was the entire gift package, but I remember I received a white hat, and I liked it so much that I wore it so many times-)

I was also drawing on the metal garage of my street neighbor, and afterward I submitted my work to a bunch of television shows in Romania. I was so excited when they featured my artwork! I quickly realized, this is something I really love doing and I focused on a professional creative career ever since.

3. BEST CONTEXT EVER FOR INSPIRATION WAS

I am inspired by everything around me, I like to keep my eyes open, and pay attention to the most random things around me, signs, color combinations, moments, conversations. I like to keep my eyes open and be observant and reflective and react to what I connect with.

I am always searching for inspiration on Are.na, Cosmos, Savee, or Pinterest.

I recently did a fun project for Palette Design Studio, and the best context for inspiration was my floor on my studio apartment, covered in big sheets of papers and ink. It was quite therapeutical.

4. THE PROJECT YOU LOVED MOST 

It’s really hard to choose, but I love projects where I get the opportunity to speak about things that matter to me, and also being able to express my visual voice. I am interested in queer themes, gender and identity, self-expression, and empowerment.

These are a mix of queer themed projects such as these 2 for ArtonLink Pride exhibit and Converse Pride.

5. THE PROJECT OTHERS LOVED MOST

Again, it’s a bit hard to choose here as well, but apart from my design work, the editorial illustration I did for The New York Times Opinion published in print and web, was a great opportunity to get more exposure for my collage illustration work. People resonated with that aesthetic and I built a body of work around that for both client and personal work.

6. THE BEST THING ABOUT LOCAL CREATIVITY IS

What I love about Brooklyn, the neighborhood where I live, and New York in general, is the diversity of creatives form all sorts of backgrounds that make the city vibrant and exciting. I also like how quiet and calming it is on certain locations.

7. BEST STATEMENT OF LOCAL HUMOR

I am not sure if this is necessarily a statement of local humor, but based my experience the phrase “things happen” or better said “sh*t happens”, “start again”, is something quintessential New York.
It’s a fun place to live, but also challenging and it constantly forces you to be out of your comfort zone and adapt to situations as you go!

8. ADVICE FOR INTERNATIONAL HEADHUNTERS, RELATED TO LOCAL CREATIVES

NYC is very competitive and the creative industry is now more diverse than ever, full of amazing people of so many backgrounds and cultures. Take the time to not only study their experience and work, but also their character and what unique skills and personality they can bring to your team. It’s important to be intentional and hire great creatives but also great people that can fit into your company culture.

9. BEST PLACE IN NEW YORK

 I love books, magazines and I go very often to McNally Jackson Books. It’s an amazing place to get inspired and it calms me down, it makes me happy, it brings me joy. They have several locations across the city, and each is designed to fit in its respective neighborhood. The photo attached to this is from their location in Brooklyn, Atlantic area.

10. BEST PLACE IN YOUR COUNTRY

I would say the nature and landscape. When I first experience USA back in the summer of 2008, I worked during that summer as a work & travel student in Yellowstone National Park. That was my 1st experience with USA, and I even took part in a small local talent show, super casual just for the employees to have a good time. I ended up drawing the local culture and landscape there and I did a live drawing performance on the stage. I was so nervous, ha ha!

For Romania, I really love Sibiu, I went there with my mom back in Fall 2022, and we fell in love with Muzeul Astra. We spent an entire day there, it was special, and also our moments together. my mother.

11. MOST DISTURBING CLICHÉ ABOUT YOUR COUNTRY, IN THE MEDIA OUTLETS OF THE WORLD IS

 I think this is a more nuanced topic, I call USA “home” since 2011, and there are many cliches about it. I like to focus on the good parts and that opens me up for new people and opportunities.

12. YOUR COUNTRY SHOULD BE KNOWN FOR

One thing both my home country Romania, and New York, my second home, is that I met resilient and ambitious people, and I am feeling grateful to be part of these communities.

13. YOUR VIEWS ON SPIRITUALITY

This is a bit of sensitive topic. I believe that there is a force that guides upon us and faith is important, and this ties up our differences in religions and views. There is definitely someone there that looks over us and we need to believe in that, even if we don’t see it directly.

14. YOUR VIEWS ON MONEY
Money comes and goes, I took serious risks when I moved abroad with very few money in my pocket when I was younger, almost right after college. I think money is important, but if I look at it in relation with my creative path, it’s important for me to enjoy my work, to stay curious and create, and collaborate with great people.
And then money will follow through.

15. AN INSPIRATION SOURCE YOU RECOMMEND FOR A YOUNG CREATIVE 

I like to follow most of the creative news, but also content that is outside our creative world. However, I do think is crucial to always get a pulse of our visual culture, and a few platforms that first come to mind are: Creative Boom founded by Katy Cowan,a must-follow, Its Nice That, The Brand Identity, Visual Journal, Site Inspire and the One ClubFor Creativity.

16. A LOCAL BASED FEMALE TALENT THAT DESERVES TO BE PROMOTED AT INTERNATIONAL LEVEL 

It is my pleasure to highlight 3 Romanian women, dear friends and special people, from whom I received unconditional support, kindness, constant inspiration and resilience in life.

 Ema ENE, Creative Strategist/Brand Strategist/ Senior Copywriter and founder of Pinion Ink, Romania.
LinkedIn · Website

Ramona Todoca, Creative Director at W+K, Amsterdam.
LinkedIn · Website

Gabriela Iancu, Sr Visual Content Designer, Photography & Digital Imaging, Adobe, Atlanta USA.
LinkedIn · Website

Extensive bio:

Ionut portfolio’s spans branding, digital design, editorial, print, lettering, and illustration for lifestyle, culture, media, and tech brands. His client list features iconic names such as The New York Times, Refinery29, Converse, Teen Vogue, Glamour UK, Peloton, Pepsi, and DoR magazine.

His work has received multiple accolades from American Illustration and Applied Arts Magazine, with his most recent recognition awarded in April 2025 for an outstanding series of collage and type-based visuals.His creative voice has been spotlighted in renowned publications and platforms including Creative Boom, The Graphic Artists Guild, The Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles, Design Arts Daily (DART), The Calvert Journal, Art Directors Club, AIGA Eye on Design, Teen Vogue, DesignSponge*, Showusyourtype, and FontsInUse.

Over the past decade, Ionuț has been invited four times (2015, 2018, 2021, and 2024) to co-teach online masterclasses at the National University of Arts in Bucharest, collaborating with Professor Stela Lie, founder of the Romanian Illustrators’ Club. These sessions, tailored for students in the Graphic Arts Department, focused on lettering, typography, and illustration, offering hands-on guidance to emerging creatives.

His visual practice is fueled by music, kombucha, and an insatiable appetite for magazines, zines, and digital platforms. Passionate and prolific, Ionuț continues to shape visual identities for both legacy brands and boundary-pushing startups with equal joy and impact.