ADVENTURES IN SIGN PAINTING WITH SAM ROBERTS Barcelona has a strong heritage of signs and lettering, much of which survives to this day — from gilded fascias to mosaic frontages and ornate carved frames, it’s something of a sign spotter’s paradise. Of particular note is work in the ‘Modernisme’ (Catalan Art Nouveau) style. This art and design movement flourished in the growing Catalan capital during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and endures as an important aspect of the city’s visual and architectural identity. The Modernisme movement coincided with a renaissance in Catalan culture, and now, over 100 years later, there is a rediscovery and revival of many of the craft skills from that earlier era. Their contemporary application is taking handpainted and gilded signs in new stylistic directions, drawing on influences from a range of lettering and decorative cultures. While the number of contemporary sign painters in Barcelona is relatively small, they are undoubtedly making a visual impact, one sign at a time. Here are four of the craftspeople currently plying their trade in the city, and whose creations now compliment the historic signs that they sit alongside. Adrián Perez rotulostradicionales.com Adrián Perez, also known as El Deletrista, works out of a studio in the Barcelona suburb of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat. He started his sign painting journey at a time when there was no formal training in Spain, driven by his passion for traditional lettering. He learned by working alongside others, practising constantly, and taking jobs for very little pay to build his experience. He is now one of the few people teaching gilding and sign painting skills to others in Spain, helping the craft’s wider revival in the country. While Adrián’s early clients mainly consisted of tattoo parlours, his work now comes predominantly from bars and restaurants along with traditional businesses that value “hand-painted signage [that] is inherently unique and clearly sets them apart from the competition”. He believes With FESPA Global Print Expo and co-locating European Sign Expo set to descend on Barcelona, we meet some of the craftspeople whose work can be found on the streets of this famous city Barcelona’s ‘Rotulistas’: Keeping the Craft Alive in Catalonia Sam Roberts is the editor and publisher of BLAG (Better Letters Magazine), the world's only print and online publication dedicated to sign painting. He has written numerous books and articles on the craft and its history and first became interested in the topic via the fading ‘ghost’ signs around London. SignLink subscribers can sign up with a special discount to the publication via bl.ag/signlink. Find more about Roberts and his work via: bl.ag ghostsigns.co.uk 31 www.signlink.co.uk Issue 264 - April | May 2026
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjM0NDIxOA==