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InspirationIllustration

One Hundred Stories, One Face: Marco Oggian's portraits of iconic people using the same face

The idea behind '100', a project by Italian illustrator Marco Oggian, was to represent one hundred iconic people while still maintaining the same base, same eyes and same mouth, treating the elements with simple geometric figures, making them recognisable only through the details and colours which make them unique.

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Geometric portrait with a bright pink face featuring two white eyes with black pupils, flanked by pink ears and a rectangular pink hat on a light blue background, part of Marco Oggian's '100' project

On show in an exhibition at Pocko in London this month, the project, as the gallery explains, allows us to "understand how our experience, age and education directs us to recognise one figure over another and above all, it forces us to realise how the small details make everyone unique but in reality, we are all the same too."

There's Hitler with his tiny moustache and his pathetic smidge of hair to Frida Kahlo with her iconic flowers and red lipstick. Each portrait, in Marco's usually energetic and playful style, instantly jumps out at us and reveals the portrayed character.

Aside from this latest project, Marco has had exhibitions in Paris, Barcelona, Berlin and Seoul and can count Nike, BMW, Holstee, Oxydo Eyewear, Topman and Bershka as some of his clients. Find out more mrcggn.com.

Stylised portrait with burgundy circular head, two white eyes with black pupils, blue headpiece, black hand gesture, white torso and gold cross necklace on yellow background
Colourful geometric illustration of a figure with distinctive features including a black bob haircut with yellow band, coral-pink face with two large white eyes, and yellow chest piece against a purple background
Stylised portrait with geometric face featuring two large eyes and sharp teeth, black silhouette with yellow spikes on shoulders against red background, by Marco Oggian
Stylised portrait with a salmon-pink circular head featuring two black eyes, white collar and black clothing against a bright red background, part of Marco Oggian's '100' project
Stylised portrait with coral-pink round head, black circular ears, large white eyes and small mouth against red background with yellow stars, wearing teal-blue shirt
Stylised portrait with black round head and two large eyes, red body with yellow buttons on bright yellow background, from Marco Oggian's '100' project
Geometric illustration of a stylised face with yellow and pink sections, two white eyes with black pupils, and red lips against a blue sky and yellow ground with a golden sun above
Geometric portrait with black hair and red face featuring two white eyes with black pupils and a protruding red nose, against a teal background
Stylised portrait with coral-pink circular head featuring two eyes, yellow semicircle hat, black suit and red tie against striped red and white background, from Marco Oggian's 100 project
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