Date

05 October 2023

Mattia Bari: alumnus of the Undergraduate course in Illustration and Animation at IED Milano

From Galleries like Art Central Galleria El Dorado, to luxury fashion stores like doors.nyc to Times Square Billboards. Mattia Bari, known as POPST-ART (The Popstar of Art), is an artist and creative director of innovative and visionary concepts. His new pop character ‘FAKE’ has quickly been taking Manhattan by storm with its irresistibly appeal. FAKE is the mask of masks, it is an ironic and controversial caricature of Pop culture and its protagonists. A deconstruction of our contemporary world dominated by the social media and by the artifices and traps of our Egos.

 

We had the opportunity to speak with Mattia:

How did your career at IED help you achieve your goals?

IED has inevitably developed a theoretical, practical and professional vision of what was a talent that has always been recognized in me. I followed the Undergraduate Illustration and Animation course which completely analyzed the various applications of visual art with multiple skills and interpretations.

What IED lessons do you always carry with you? Do you have any guidelines that you follow when carrying out your work?

Certainly the transversal culture of art, a 360-degree view of our artistic work. Here in Manhattan, where I work, it is a fundamental aspect, you have to train yourself in a broader and more receptive creative mindset towards the world around you. It was by working with pop stars and celebrities that I had a clear vision of the elasticity of American culture on this aspect.

What does it mean for a creative person to live and work in a cosmopolitan and stimulating city like NYC? What is your greatest satisfaction to date?

It means believing in something great, it's important to have a clear focus and push in that direction, the city helps you with its lights and its atmosphere. The greatest satisfaction was achieving success in the Manhattan artistic circuit with my company 'MATTIA BARI USA'. My POP character 'FAKE' is now on display in luxury galleries and fashion concept stores in the heart of the city, collaborating with the world of advertising, entertainment and fashion. Presenting myself to the city as 'POPST-ART', I work with my team to create innovative concepts and POP-events with a new approach to communication and POP culture in Manhattan... but this is just the beginning!

You may be interested in:

13 October 2026

Public Spiritualism: rethinking public space through design

IED Milano hosts the danish artist Thomas Poulsen for the workshop Public Spiritualism addressed to 3rd year Product Design students.

12 October 2026

Saioa Villa, alumni of IED Kunsthal Bilbao, presents Matterness at Basquerville Festival

The Official Undergraduate Degree in Graphic Design graduate was selected to take part in Harroby, the festival’s platform dedicated to the next generation of design professionals.

08 October 2026

IED at Social Design Days 2026 in Tbilisi

IED will take part in Social Design Days 2026 in Tbilisi through architect, visual designer and educator Francesca Perani, Coordinator of the Master in Interior Design at IED Milano.

07 October 2026

Irene Fonseca takes part in Lights in Alingsås, marking the fourth consecutive scholarship for IED Kunsthal Bilbao

The alumni of the 2025/26 Specialisation Course in Architectural Lighting Design took part in the international workshop held in Sweden thanks to IED Kunsthal Bilbao’s collaboration with Lightecture.

06 October 2026

150 students begin the 2026–2027 Academic Year on IED Barcelona’s Master’s, Postgraduate and Foundation Courses

The Welcome Event for Master’s and Postgraduate students took place on 1 and 2 October, featuring a new edition of the “Designing for the Many” workshop and the opening lecture. Foundation students received their welcome on 5 October.

06 October 2026

Public Program IED.60, October 2026

This month, IED’s Public Program continues to take design beyond the classroom, creating opportunities for dialogue with audiences, cultural institutions, businesses and professional communities.

05 October 2026

IED Kunsthal Bilbao opens the 2026/27 Master and Postgraduate academic year with Toni Segarra

The day combined an institutional welcome for new students with an open, intergenerational conversation on creativity, talent, teamwork and the transformation of the profession.

02 October 2026

AQU Catalunya grants favourable accreditation to IED Barcelona’s Bachelor of Arts in Design

Once again, IED Barcelona has received a favourable report from the Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency (AQU Catalunya), certifying the quality of the Bachelor of Arts in Design (Título de Grado en Enseñanzas Artísticas Superiores de Diseño) delivered by the centre.

Two girls holding a paper program in front of a design festival poster

02 October 2026

Brut! 2026 brings two new creative voices from IED Barcelona to the stage

Visual Arts graduates Irina Kavtaradze and Kyla Henry took part in the event where leading design schools showcase their outstanding final degree projects, held on 1 and 2 October at Disseny Hub Barcelona.