Throughout Filatelia Grafica, Diego’s modernist design influences are beautifully prevalent. “Stamps that catch my eye? The ones with clean typography, bold geometry, playful iconography or simply a strong graphic idea visualised in a simple or timeless way,” he tells us. But, what’s also particularly formidable about the archive is that Diego also researches and traces the designers, providing a greater context for the history of the stamps and design as a whole. “I’ve even gotten to the point where I seek out designs by some of my favourites, including Bulgarian designer Stefan Kanchev and Polish graphic artist Waldemar Świerzy,” he adds. With the former being known for his logo design work and the latter for his contributions to the Polish school of posters, each time he researches and credits this history, a stamp becomes an opportunity for the audience to delve deeper into the periods of art and design and its bleeding into these miniature pieces of art.
Diego’s process for collecting and collating the stamps has evolved a lot over the years. “It’s become a lot more meticulous,” Diego shares. “I initially stored the stamps in my shoebox. It wasn’t until the Covid lockdown started that I began sorting and sharing my collection on Instagram as a small project to keep me occupied.” Growing tenfold since then, with a dedicated following and interaction from other stamp archives such as the Philately Bulgaria, he now sets aside time weekly to pick up new additions and create a selection of stamps to add to the archive. And in terms of the presentation, he has perfected his approach, allowing the audience to examine the graphic beauty of the stamps up close. “I derive real enjoyment from the discovery and research, and then archiving the stamps in a beautiful and organised manner,” he adds.
