Javier Errando Mariscal (Valencia, February 9, 1950) is a Spanish multidisciplinary designer and artist. He has lived and worked in Barcelona since 1970. His work encompasses illustration, graphic design, furniture, interior design, sculpture, animation, and audiovisual projects, and is characterized by a free, colorful, and vibrant visual language.
He trained at the Elisava School in Barcelona, though he soon abandoned his academic studies to pursue self-directed learning within the creative field. He began his career in the underground comics scene of the 1970s, contributing to publications such as El Rrollo Enmascarado and Star , and actively participating in the rise of adult comics in Spain. From this period, works such as Aa Valenciaa and the series Los Garriris stand out, characters that would become a recurring element in his artistic vision.
In the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, he expanded his practice to include graphic design, furniture, and interior design. In 1979, he achieved great popularity with the BAR CEL ONA logo and, shortly after, with the design of the Dúplex bar and its iconic stool. In 1981, he participated in the Memphis, an International Style exhibition in Milan, and in the following years, he exhibited at institutions such as the Centre Pompidou in Paris and Documenta in Kassel.
In 1989, he created Cobi, the mascot for the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, an initially controversial project that became one of the biggest commercial and cultural successes in Olympic history. That same year, he founded Estudio Mariscal, through which he has developed international projects in visual identity, interior architecture, and product design for institutions, companies, and cultural spaces in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Among his most renowned works are the Twipsy mascot for Expo 2000 in Hanover, the Alexandra armchair for Moroso, the complete design of the Gran Hotel Domine Bilbao, and numerous collaborations with brands such as Magis, Artemide, Cassina, Vondom, and Camper. His work has been the subject of major retrospective exhibitions, including Mariscal Drawing Life at the Design Museum in London and Mariscal at La Pedrera in Barcelona.
In the audiovisual field, he co-directed, with Fernando Trueba, the animated feature film Chico & Rita (2010), nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and later They Shot the Piano Player (2023). Both works reflect his interest in music, visual storytelling, and popular culture.
Javier Mariscal is considered a key figure in contemporary Spanish and international design, whose career stands out for its interdisciplinary approach, visual optimism, and constant creative exploration.
