Project Brief

For years, Rafael Esquer was disappointed whenever he searched for the perfect New York souvenir to give to his guests. To him, nothing on the gift shop shelves captured the elegance and energy of the City he loves. At last, he has done something about it.

Esquer has designed a museum-quality poster that is now becoming a favorite New York keepsake of visitors and residents alike. Named Iconic New York©, his poster features hand-drawn icons of the City’s architecture and artifacts, packed into a vibrant collage forming the shape of Manhattan itself. Inspired by naive art, Iconic New York© embraces viewers with its confetti of colors and details. “Everybody loves New York,” says Esquer. “I wanted a beautiful souvenir that says, New York loves you back.”

Esquer has used spot-varnish to highlight the 173 buildings, landmarks, and organizations that are identified by name and gray-scale silhouette in the border around the poster. But quirky details abound, too. Look for the attack raccoon in Central Park, the climber on the New York Times building, and the Naked Cowboy in Times Square. And at every turn, watch out for pedestrians, poodles, prams, and pretzels!

Iconic New York© is for sale at AlfalfaNewYork.com and comes in standard one-sheet movie-poster size (27″ x 40″).

Approach

Painstakingly researched, drawn, and composed, Iconic New York™ spent two and a half years on the drawing board. Esquer and his design team chipped away at the map of Manhattan, methodically converting the city’s most beloved architecture and artifacts into artful graphic icons. Slowly but surely, from Washington Heights to Battery Park, they meticulously assembled the icons into a collage forming the shape of Manhattan itself.

Outcome

“This work of art brings out the spirited persona of New York, the city I love and am proud to live in.”

—Tracy Keller, Tracy’s New York Life

Since launched, Iconic New York™ has become a collectible piece for art and design enthusiasts and New York lovers alike. Its colorful design has received some of the most prestigious national and international graphic design awards and is included in various print and online publications.

Iconic New York™ captures the kaleidoscope of life in New York. See how its changing patterns of shapes and colors come to life in this 90 seconds animation.

“Made by Manhattan’s Alfalfa Studio, the poster incorporates more than 400 landmarks, including 173 lovingly rendered buildings. It took more than two-and-a-half years for Alfalfa’s Rafael Esquer to research and produce, and should reward owners with hours of staring and discovery.”

—John Metcalfe, CITYLAB