Steve Radzi: illustrator of Maya archaeological sites

21st Sep 2022

Artist and illustrator Steve Radzi

Over many years renowned artist and illustrator Steve Radzi has contributed many fine, bespoke colour drawings for Mexicolore to illustrate specific points of interest relating to Mesoamerican culture and history that are often missing in ethnographic records. He has become a good friend and we continue to collaborate regularly. Given the high regard with which his material is held around the world, we asked him to tell his own story...

The Maya World has been of interest to many a scholar, epigrapher, archaeologist and artist. Steve Radzi is a professional illustrator. On the non-commercial side, his passion for illustrating remnants and ruins of bygone cultures has been a long lasting affair. His travels through the near and far east with sketchbook in hand have resulted in a compilation of what he describes as ‘scribbles’ of the world.

His first encounters with Mesoamerican cultures began when he moved to North America and after working in the animation and comic book industry his desire to explore led him to the jungles of Central America and to Maya culture above all. His travels led him further to South America where he spent time in the Andes of Peru and the heart of Inca culture.
Upon his return In the early 1980s and only a short distance from Florida his scribbling adventures through the Maya World began in earnest. He visited, as often as was possible, the once grand cities of the Maya as well as the lesser-known structures hidden deep beneath the jungle canopy of Mexico, Belize and Guatemala.

Steve Radzi, was born Stefan Radziwillowicz in Devon, England, of Polish parents. He is a television and film production illustrator with extensive experience in special event rendering, storyboard art, animation and set design. Steve designed the pre-production drawings for the animated feature film “The Hobbit” and eventually worked for Hanna-Barbera in Los Angeles working in the comic book division and the background art department on ‘Yogi’s Space Race’ and other cartoon favorites. He also hosted his own radio program on WDNA.FM Miami for 20 years. A gallery of his work may be viewed and prints are available at mayavision.com.

KEY to collage images:-
• Collage 1 (clockwise from top left): Ballcourt, Copan, Honduras; Archway of the Governor’s Palace, Uxmal, Yucatan, Mexico; Temple of the Seven Dolls, Dzibilchaltun, Yucatan, Mexico; Calica, Quintana Roo, Mexico; Structure #A6, Xunantunich, Cayo District, Belize; Structure #33, Yaxchilan, Chiapas, Mexico.
• Collage 2 (do.): Muyil (Chunyaxche), Quintana Roo, Mexico; House of the Serpent Mouth, Chicanna, Rio Bec, Mexico; Structure #5, Hochob, Campeche, Mexico; Stairway, Pyramid of the Magician, Uxmal, Yucatan, Mexico; Structure #19, Yaxchilan (Rear Entrance) Chiapas, Mexico; Structure ‘D’, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico.

All images by and © Steve Radzi.

See examples of Steve’s work for Mexicolore in this article on patolli...Steve Radzi’s website