A year of Magical Surrealism!
We welcome Federico Sáez Anchorena, the artist behind the illustrations for our 2026 calendar. A master of the art of the real (defined, precise objects) while incorporating the unexpected.
Sharp outlines and flat colours set the stage for a carefully orchestrated digital world, unfolding into 12 pictures that feel like fragments of dreams or frames from a science-fiction film.
Sancal’s furniture coexists with characters and objects without hierarchy, creating moments suspended in space and time. Open to interpretation, each illustration becomes the beginning of a new story.
In these micro-worlds, our furniture designs such as Suricata, Cita, Vesta, or Planta live alongside colossal fruits, watchful animals and natural elements that defy logic.
His style, somewhere between graphic neo-modernism and figurative abstraction, connects with the essence of Sancal: both avoid the obvious, embracing play, experimentation and provocation. An invitation to look at the world in a curious and dream-like way.
Graphic design, or the everyday art we live with.
A calendar is a practical object we usually only look at to schedule events or check the inexorable passage of time.
In 2013, Esther and Elena Castaño-López set out to give it something more and to turn it into an object to be enjoyed. For Sancal, calendars shouldn’t just be beautiful; they should also offer an aesthetic delight.
Since then, year after year, we have invited graphic artists of many styles to create an illustrated universe that stops time for a few seconds, allowing moments of contemplation simply for the pleasure of appreciating each artwork.
We like to think that, within its pages, design and illustration engage with everyday life, making culture more accessible.
So, who is Federico Sáez Anchorena?
Born in Montevideo and now based in Barcelona, Federico brings together more than fifteen years of experience in art direction, illustration and graphic design to create worlds where the everyday transforms into visual poetry.
His work blends objects, nature and, in this case, Sancal’s furniture, into surreal settings where logic dissolves and the unexpected becomes normal. He has collaborated with international brands such as H&M, Amazon Prime, Mango and Mazda, as well as organisations like UNESCO and TED Countdown, adapting his versatile, personal style to each project.
Federico is also an active cultural promoter within the design scene. His ability to craft narratives, both in communication and illustration, allows him to tell stories that not only surprise but also move.
Here’s to a year of real dreams!
In 2026, every calendar page will be a window into the artist’s universe: a place where imagination prevails over logic, and colour, form and design coexist in perfect harmony. A world that invites us to view our daily lives through a more poetic, free and visionary lens. An aesthetic fully aligned with Sancal’s spirit: originality, optimism and a constant search for new forms of expression.
May all your dreams come true!
