I’m Cristóbal Schmal. Born in the north of Chile where Atacama Desert begins and one of the most dry places in the world. After high school I moved to Valparaiso to study Graphic Design in Valparaiso University. After my Diplom Degree I moved to Spain first to Madrid and then Barcelona with no plan and no visa. I worked in many different things before I got a job as designer in a small agency. I drew a lot while speaking at the phone with clients. I wasn’t happy at all so I decided to make a one year trip to Brasil. I spent some months in Sao Paulo, Amazonia and Recife where I did drawing workshops with kids in public schools.Went back to Barcelona and get hired for a small Advertising Agency half time. The other half time I drew, painted and did some small illustration commissions. After several years in Barcelona I moved to Berlin where I started learning German and try to focus on drawing and illustration. A year later I got my first commissions as freelance Illustrator. From 2015 until 2020 I worked as house Illustrator doing monthly assignments for Lufthansa On Board Magazine. In 2018 I co-founded Studio Schmal together with my partner Johanna Schmal as a creative place focused in fine and applied arts where we also organised Illustration workshops.
