Computer Arts Gallery: November 2011

MaricorMaricar
Location: Sydney
Job: Design, illustration, animation

Maricor Michelle and Maricar Manalo are the Sydney-based twins behind MaricorMaricar, a studio specialising in hand-crafted visuals across design, illustration and animation. The pair gained experience at different design companies before joining forces at multidisciplinary studio Mathematics, where they produced work for a diverse range of clients – including MySpace Australia, Splendour in the Grass festival and bands such as Architecture in Helsinki, Empire of the Sun, Death Cab for Cutie and The Decemberists. Since launching their own studio, the sisters, who are represented by Handsome Frank, have developed MaricorMaricar into a specialist studio for hand-crafted design.

Hungry Colours
Following a mixtape theme, ‘Hungry Colours’ and ‘Muscle On’ were inspired by songs from the twins’ favourite bands and created for MaricorMaricar’s first solo exhibition

MaricorMaricar
Location: Sydney
Job: Design, illustration, animation

Maricor Michelle and Maricar Manalo are the Sydney-based twins behind MaricorMaricar, a studio specialising in hand-crafted visuals across design, illustration and animation. The pair gained experience at different design companies before joining forces at multidisciplinary studio Mathematics, where they produced work for a diverse range of clients – including MySpace Australia, Splendour in the Grass festival and bands such as Architecture in Helsinki, Empire of the Sun, Death Cab for Cutie and The Decemberists. Since launching their own studio, the sisters, who are represented by Handsome Frank, have developed MaricorMaricar into a specialist studio for hand-crafted design.

Muscle On
Following a mixtape theme, ‘Hungry Colours’ and ‘Muscle On’ were inspired by songs from the twins’ favourite bands and created for MaricorMaricar’s first solo exhibition

MaricorMaricar
Location: Sydney
Job: Design, illustration, animation

Maricor Michelle and Maricar Manalo are the Sydney-based twins behind MaricorMaricar, a studio specialising in hand-crafted visuals across design, illustration and animation. The pair gained experience at different design companies before joining forces at multidisciplinary studio Mathematics, where they produced work for a diverse range of clients – including MySpace Australia, Splendour in the Grass festival and bands such as Architecture in Helsinki, Empire of the Sun, Death Cab for Cutie and The Decemberists. Since launching their own studio, the sisters, who are represented by Handsome Frank, have developed MaricorMaricar into a specialist studio for hand-crafted design.

Aphrodite: Les Folies
These graphics were made for Kylie Minogue’s recent tour, Aphrodite: Les Folies. MaricorMaricar made watercolour sketches as the basis of the embroidered graphic

MaricorMaricar
Location: Sydney
Job: Design, illustration, animation

Maricor Michelle and Maricar Manalo are the Sydney-based twins behind MaricorMaricar, a studio specialising in hand-crafted visuals across design, illustration and animation. The pair gained experience at different design companies before joining forces at multidisciplinary studio Mathematics, where they produced work for a diverse range of clients – including MySpace Australia, Splendour in the Grass festival and bands such as Architecture in Helsinki, Empire of the Sun, Death Cab for Cutie and The Decemberists. Since launching their own studio, the sisters, who are represented by Handsome Frank, have developed MaricorMaricar into a specialist studio for hand-crafted design.

Aphrodite: Les Folies
These graphics were made for Kylie Minogue’s recent tour, Aphrodite: Les Folies. MaricorMaricar made watercolour sketches as the basis of the embroidered graphic

MaricorMaricar
Location: Sydney
Job: Design, illustration, animation

Maricor Michelle and Maricar Manalo are the Sydney-based twins behind MaricorMaricar, a studio specialising in hand-crafted visuals across design, illustration and animation. The pair gained experience at different design companies before joining forces at multidisciplinary studio Mathematics, where they produced work for a diverse range of clients – including MySpace Australia, Splendour in the Grass festival and bands such as Architecture in Helsinki, Empire of the Sun, Death Cab for Cutie and The Decemberists. Since launching their own studio, the sisters, who are represented by Handsome Frank, have developed MaricorMaricar into a specialist studio for hand-crafted design.

AMV BBDO
AMV BBDO invited MaricorMaricar to submit a piece for a show it was curating based on type

Máximo Tuja
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Job: Illustrator, designer, collage artist

For Argentina-born artist Máximo Tuja, aka Max-o-matic, fanzines were both the inspiration behind and the gateway to his design career: “While listening to The Clash and other punk bands, I fell in love with fanzine culture and became a true follower of DIY,” he explains. “I did everything by myself and after a year or two became aware of the words ‘design’, ‘layout’, ‘computer’, ‘absolute nonsense’, ‘art’ and ‘anti-art’ – among many others. Fanzines took me to design; design took me to books and magazines. Then came the internet.”

Since 2002, Tuja has lived and worked in Barcelona, building up an impressive client list that includes multinational brands such as Nike and EA. He’s taken part in collective shows all over the globe and curated his second solo exhibition earlier this year. Whatever the project he’s focusing on, Tuja’s distinctive collage style is in a constant state of development and growth. “I try to create an imaginary world from torn pieces of the real world,” he explains. “I’m learning while I’m producing.”

Le Cool / Bcn guide illustration
Tuja was commissioned to illustrate three pages of Le Cool’s A Weird and Wonderful Guide to Barcelona.

Máximo Tuja
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Job: Illustrator, designer, collage artist

For Argentina-born artist Máximo Tuja, aka Max-o-matic, fanzines were both the inspiration behind and the gateway to his design career: “While listening to The Clash and other punk bands, I fell in love with fanzine culture and became a true follower of DIY,” he explains. “I did everything by myself and after a year or two became aware of the words ‘design’, ‘layout’, ‘computer’, ‘absolute nonsense’, ‘art’ and ‘anti-art’ – among many others. Fanzines took me to design; design took me to books and magazines. Then came the internet.”

Since 2002, Tuja has lived and worked in Barcelona, building up an impressive client list that includes multinational brands such as Nike and EA. He’s taken part in collective shows all over the globe and curated his second solo exhibition earlier this year. Whatever the project he’s focusing on, Tuja’s distinctive collage style is in a constant state of development and growth. “I try to create an imaginary world from torn pieces of the real world,” he explains. “I’m learning while I’m producing.”

One Trick Pony
An image from Tuja’s five-part Cream Series. “I assembled the collages during three feverish summer nights,” Tuja recalls. “There are links to surreal creatures and pop lyrics throughout.”

Jolby
Location: Portland, USA
Job: Illustration, design and art direction

One part Josh Kenyon and one part Colby Nichols, Jolby is a collaborative design and illustration studio based in Portland, Oregon. “Our city of residence has impacted what we do on a large scale – it’s filled with talented and amazing people that drive us every day to do what we do, not least our family and friends.”

Kenyon and Nichols began their partnership in 2005 after meeting at the Art Institute in San Diego, and have exhibited work in galleries all over the world, combining their talents in illustration, design and art direction. The pair name Muppets joke book Frogs Are Funny! as one of their favourite projects so far: “We grew up with the Muppets, so working with the characters and being part of the franchise was amazing.”

The magic of Jolby comes from Nichols’ artistic obsession with creatures and characters, and Kenyon’s love for colour, pattern and texture. The pair say they aim to achieve two goals in their work: to “tell a memorable story” and “make people smile”.

Bluefin Tuna Artist Series
Jolby was invited by surf-inspired apparel brand Twothirds and marine conservation group Oceana to create a shirt and a print celebrating the endangered bluefin tuna. “Our piece focuses on the absence of the fish from our world’s oceans if we don’t do something about it,” they say.

Jolby
Location: Portland, USA
Job: Illustration, design and art direction

One part Josh Kenyon and one part Colby Nichols, Jolby is a collaborative design and illustration studio based in Portland, Oregon. “Our city of residence has impacted what we do on a large scale – it’s filled with talented and amazing people that drive us every day to do what we do, not least our family and friends.”

Kenyon and Nichols began their partnership in 2005 after meeting at the Art Institute in San Diego, and have exhibited work in galleries all over the world, combining their talents in illustration, design and art direction. The pair name Muppets joke book Frogs Are Funny! as one of their favourite projects so far: “We grew up with the Muppets, so working with the characters and being part of the franchise was amazing.”

The magic of Jolby comes from Nichols’ artistic obsession with creatures and characters, and Kenyon’s love for colour, pattern and texture. The pair say they aim to achieve two goals in their work: to “tell a memorable story” and “make people smile”.

Urban Outfitters prints
This piece was commissioned for the Urban Outfitters Wall Art collection, from a series entitled Earth Hurts.

Redouane Oumahi
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Job: Designer

France-born designer Redouane Oumahi has a wealth of international experience, including eight years in London (where he studied Graphic and Media Design at the London College of Communication), and time at various studios across Europe – including Oslo, Copenhagen, Madrid, Stockholm and Helsinki. Having finally settled in Stockholm, he now runs This is Playtime where he focuses on illustration, typography, photography and art installation projects.

According to Oumahi, living all over the world has strengthened his career determination: “Moving to a new country on a tiny, ridiculous budget, without a secured job or accommodation was so testing that I feel like I can take on the challenge of any design brief – success or failure doesn’t matter; the most important thing is that you’re out there trying your best each time.”

Oumahi has also spent time as a graffiti writer, as well as creating a one-off publication on graphic design, fashion, photography and street culture called Deleted Scenes.

Sweet Digits 4
“This series of 10 postcards took a really long time to complete, as each digit was different and the arrangement of sweets was therefore unique on every card,” says Oumahi. “I had fun designing the set!”

Redouane Oumahi
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Job: Designer

France-born designer Redouane Oumahi has a wealth of international experience, including eight years in London (where he studied Graphic and Media Design at the London College of Communication), and time at various studios across Europe – including Oslo, Copenhagen, Madrid, Stockholm and Helsinki. Having finally settled in Stockholm, he now runs This is Playtime where he focuses on illustration, typography, photography and art installation projects.

According to Oumahi, living all over the world has strengthened his career determination: “Moving to a new country on a tiny, ridiculous budget, without a secured job or accommodation was so testing that I feel like I can take on the challenge of any design brief – success or failure doesn’t matter; the most important thing is that you’re out there trying your best each time.”

Oumahi has also spent time as a graffiti writer, as well as creating a one-off publication on graphic design, fashion, photography and street culture called Deleted Scenes.

Inte Till Salu
Created as part of Oumahi’s house collection, this piece was drawn first by hand and then altered using Illustrator. “It was pretty challenging, “ he admits. “I’m no architect!”

Tom Camp
Location: London, UK
Job: Illustrator

London-based illustrator Tom Camp is a firm believer that humour is the best way to interact with the viewer when creating a piece of art. “My ideas come from silly conversations I have in my head with myself,” he says. “I worry that if I say these things out loud, people will look at me funny – but for some reason when I draw them it’s okay. I think that’s the brilliance of being an illustrator!”

Freshly graduated from Norwich University College of the Arts, where he studied illustration, Camp has had recent commissions from South East Zine and Stalking Elk magazine – which he describes as one of his favourite clients: “The guys at Stalking Elk let me use my sense of humour completely within the image. It was such a relaxed process working with them.”

Camp names Daniel Eatock and Charley Harper as some of his artistic heroes. He creates his digital collages in Illustrator and Photoshop, which comprise simple compositions and unusual colour combinations made from flat colour and textured surfaces.

Mein Kampf with my Moustache
This project was born of a conversation Camp had with a tutor at university. “It was created in Photoshop using a mixture of print relief textures and typography from an old type catalogue,” says Camp.