Meet the Illustrator Edel Ferri
We believe that all students have the right to read complex texts and engage in rich classroom discussions. They should also see themselves reflected and experience new worlds through reading.
This commitment guides our text selection, unique artwork, and dedication to reaching every student where they are.
What is your name and pronoun?
Edel, she/her
What would we never be able to know about you, just by looking at you?
I have an extensive knowledge of reef aquariums. I also do a really good Jerry Seinfeld impression.
Where are you from?
I currently live in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Throughout my life I’ve found myself constantly drifting between New York and New Jersey. I would spend many summers in the city as a child, as well as swimming and building sandcastles on the Jersey shore.
What is illustration?
Hm! The term itself is pretty expansive and ever changing, so this is a tough one. On a personal level, illustration is what happens when art meets narrative. It can take many forms: comics, editorial, storyboarding.
How does that differ from “fine art”?
Oof. I could write an entire book on this. For the sake of brevity, I would say that my main take would be that the line between illustration years that the terms could be interchangeable at this point.
Were you making art as a kid?
I’ve been drawing as long as I could hold a pencil in my hand. In many ways it was an escape, thinking up characters in my head, creating worlds where anything was possible. I continue to do that to this day.
Was your environment—your family, friends, teachers—supportive of your interest in art?
Growing up, I was mostly told to stop by many adults and even some of my peers, but I’m glad I didn’t. I am very thankful to have had close friends and parents that understood that art is what made me feel whole, and encouraged me to continue.
The illustrating of: The Space Race
What is this unit about?
This unit has absolutely revived that wonder and fascination in me. It’s about the technological competition that took place between two superpowers, the United States and the USSR, to get human beings into space. There’s something so inspiring about the space race, ethics; the fact that our different societies were constantly looking to the future with such hope. That all feels so distant now.
How did you relate to the subject matter?
When I was a kid I was extremely fascinated by astronomy, I remember in particular buying an
atlas-sized book on nebulae, thinking that they were the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
