Computer Arts magazine has published a supplement in their September issue showcasing the best graduates of 2010 in Graphic Design, Animation and Illustration. I was lucky enough to be among the six best in illustration.
One can look at the birdhouses as individuals or as an entirety just like every flat in a council estate is a unique flat but at the end of the day in their entirety all these flats are nothing but a big block of concrete. When I was 18 I had spent half my life in Communism and the other half of my life in capitalism. Those first 9 years were crucial to my personal development. Ever since, I am reminded of the familiar territory my friends and I used to wead through. We all went to the same school, our parents had similar jobs, we all had one younger sibling and most importantly all our flats had the same floor plan. Although facing major restrictions during socialism people still tried to individualize some aspects of their life. As all the estates looked terribly alike some parents painted murals on their building entrance so their kids would remember where they lived. Others painted their balcony in a different colour so it would stick out against the overall grey. I don’t know why but dark brown is the colour that I find in all of my childhood memories. Like many things were never or rarely available I guess dark brown must have been easy to supply.
Attempting to loosen up my linework a bit I forced myself to work within the restraints of time and format. I drew stuff from the telly, allowing myself 2 minutes on each piece. This resulted in 30 Post-it notes an hour. Over-achiever that I am, I went for gold and did 100. These are my favourites (click image for large view)
The show at the Shoreditch Town Hall was a major success. I am still absolutely pumped and eager to produce loads of new pieces for the next show in June.