Sophie Roach is a self-taught illustrator from Austin, Texas, whose intricately detailed, vibrantly coloured drawings have given rise to a distinctive graphic language. Since her idle doodling became a viable practice for the artist in 2012, she’s been drawing on everything from cars and buildings to surfboards and shoes. The mandala-like forms she creates are mesmerizing portals into another dimension, simultaneously naïve and skilled works of art.
The digital design community is being rocked by Shanghai-based interactive designer Francis Lam’s latest apps and web-designs, often appearing in classic 8-bit video game aesthetics.
Lam is founder of db-db.com, a platform for exploring online identities and collaborating on design projects. The community is guided by “db-db”, symbolizing the nose-shaped avatar that Lam uses to tell his story on the site. After initial online success, Lam decided to give this project a real-world component, designing furniture based on his earlier digital concepts and identities. The move from computer-generated to handmade designs has been freeing for Lam, who finds the two poles to give him productive balance.
Video by db-db for ConverseRoach and Lam are among a carefully selected group of designers and creatives – including Last Suspect, Campbell Swift, Nihilisten, Graphonaute, Mr. Div, and Nick Taylor – collaborating on the launch of Converse Chuck II, that will make its debut next Tuesday, July 28th. Stay tuned @Converse #ChuckII or converse.de for more information.
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Blog entry in Berlin; Saturday, Jul. 25, 2015.