Manolo Yllera is a self-taught photographer born in Madrid. He began his career in his family’s textile design business, where he discovered his passion for photography while working on the company’s catalogues. At the age of 27, he left the family firm: “That’s when I started studying photography and began to take it seriously. I became deeply interested in documentary photography. I admired Henri Cartier-Bresson, Sebastião Salgado, and the activist approach to photography. I took courses with National Geographic and Magnum, studying with photographers such as Antoine D’Agata and David Alan Harvey,” says Yllera.
His fascination with light and composition eventually led him to specialise in interior photography, a field that offered fertile ground for his creativity. Yllera is renowned for his ability to capture the soul of a space, blending elements from different eras and styles with a distinctive sensibility. His work is marked by meticulous composition, the use of natural light to create a magical effect, and an aesthetic that fuses the classical with the contemporary. He also takes an active role in arranging the elements within the frame, always in search of balance and visual harmony.
Throughout his career, Manolo has collaborated with leading publications such as AD España, Elle Decor, Vogue, and Casa y Campo. He has also worked alongside acclaimed architects and designers including Peter Marino and Kelly Wearstler. His home-studio in Madrid—a former 140-square-metre workshop in the Tetuán neighbourhood—has been widely featured in the media and is considered a beacon of style and creativity.
His work has been widely published in both specialised and mainstream media, establishing his reputation as one of the most influential interior photographers in Spain. He has also taken part in exhibitions and editorial projects that reflect his unique vision of space and decoration.
Beyond his professional practice, Yllera pursues personal projects that express his love of art, design, and photography. His home-studio is not only a workplace, but also a creative laboratory where he experiments with new ideas and visual concepts.