A project in collaboration with Bristol Beacon, "A New Song For Bristol" tells the stories of hundreds of entries from Bristolians of all ages, communities, and backgrounds. These stories were transformed into a 42-foot visual artwork installed on the outside of Bristol Beacon.
A soundtrack composed of the stories and voices of Bristolians was also created to accompany the artwork.
The project was designed to bring people together and celebrate Bristol’s diversity and culture. It also aimed to create a sense of unity and pride in the city. The project was a success, with many people taking part, sharing their stories and celebrating Bristol.
The project was launched in 2020, starting with a call for the local public to convey their experiences of living in Bristol during the coronavirus pandemic through words and music.
Working on this project, I sought to bring the stories I heard to life through visuals. Despite the vulnerability and weightiness of many narratives, it was my mission to find the beauty within them while still honouring people's experiences during that challenging period of time.
I printed out many of the written submissions and listened to audio tracks. Using highlighters and pens, I began to visualise images in my mind and created numerous messy sketches. Eventually, I could see how to combine stories and integrate them all organically, which is how I landed on the flowers; they are organic, alive, and beautiful.
Click here to find out more.
I was commissioned by TK Maxx for their 2022 Comic Relief Red Nose Day campaign and merchandise. I created a T-shirt, homeware, and stationery collection for Red Nose Day 2022.
As one of just 11 artists around the UK, I supported the great work of the registered charity, Comic Relief. The campaign raised £1501410 for the charity.
The collection was inspired by the vibrant colours of the Red Nose Day branding and used this as a starting point for the design. The collection featured a range of products for both adults and kids, including t-shirts, mugs, aprons, notebooks and more. Each item featured a unique design showcasing two women jumping towards each other in a high five and two hands high fiving.
I was excited to have the opportunity to collaborate with TK Maxx on their project. I submitted some initial concepts and then worked together with their team to refine and develop the ideas. Working on such a large project was a great learning experience for me, and I'm looking forward to future projects like this. The designs were well-received, with customers praising the eye-catching design and the quality of the products.
Find out more here.
For Windrush Day 2023, I had the incredible opportunity to collaborate with the Royal Greenwich Maritime Museum on a special project. We created a family resource that would not only educate but also inspire and empower young minds.
At the heart of this project were the words of Stella Dadzie, a renowned educationalist, activist, writer and historian. Her powerful words formed the foundation of the work, allowing a dive into the rich histories of important but often overlooked Black figures, who are connected through British maritime history.
“Empower” is a trail that serves as an activity guide for children, encouraging them to explore and engage with the captivating stories hidden within the museum. Through interactive activities and provocations, the aim was to create an engaging journey that would ignite curiosity and foster a deeper understanding of these remarkable individuals, providing a space for families and groups with young children to think critically about history.
It was truly an honour to fine-tune Stella Dadzie's words and illustrate this important resource to create a captivating experience for families. This project highlights for me the power of collaboration, storytelling, and celebrating diverse voices in our shared history.
I worked with Avon Fire and Rescue to create a series of panel designs that celebrated the contributions of Black local communities, with a homage to the Windrush Generation.
This design celebrates the Windrush Generation and the important contributions they have made. The colourful illustrations represent the diversity of today's firefighters and highlight the importance of representing local communities. This design, aimed to open a dialogue on what it means to be a firefighter today and celebrate their work in protecting our communities.
The truck wrapping is part of a larger initiative as the Service works to better represent the community.
“How to Be a Better Ally to Your Students” is a collection of short films produced for BBC Teach that explore how to be a better ally to students facing challenges due to their race, background, or language skills. I worked with BLAK WAVE Production Company to create animations for three videos: Refugee Allies, English as an Additional Language (EAL) Allies, and East and South East Asian Allies.
The videos are designed to support everyone working within schools or educational settings, providing insight into the experiences of young people and the educators who are passionate about helping them. They explore the role of an ally in a school environment and provide practical tips from both students and teachers.
The videos provide an opportunity for educators to gain insight into the experiences of young people and gain a better understanding of their needs. They also help foster a sense of understanding for the students and make it easier for educators to connect with them. Additionally, the videos provide a platform for educators to learn from each other's experiences, discuss challenges, and brainstorm creative solutions.
The Cabot Institute for the Environment, in collaboration with Rising Arts Agency - a series of billboard posters to advertise their Master's program. The aim is to recruit people from diverse backgrounds and disciplines to consider a Master's in Environmental Studies. The artwork I created was used across the city as part of an advertising campaign that lasted several weeks.
The colours used are bright and cheerful, representing the optimism of the campaign's purpose: to encourage people from diverse backgrounds and disciplines to consider a Master's in Environmental Studies. The characters symbolise anyone who may be interested in the program and serves as a reminder that this opportunity is open to everyone.
Wake The Tiger offers a unique, immersive and interactive art exhibition, with many intricately made environments. Visitors are given the chance to explore each exhibit at their own pace and an intriguing backstory is woven in to give the audience a deeper connection with the environment. As one of the commissioned artists, my role was to create a piece of work in response to prompts, to be shared in a dedicated gallery space and available for visitors to purchase as a physical print and an NFT.
This piece creates a unique reimagining by exploring the possibilities of characters in outer space or sci-fi stories. It was mainly influenced by the concept of "who is observing who", while combining elements of portraiture and geometry. With vibrant contrasting colors and textures set against the use of black negative space in a style heavily influenced by pop art.
In response to the provocation "The Universe is unfathomably large and possibly will continue to expand forever," the "Wake the Tiger" gallery room was created to feel like the hole it has created goes on forever. Within this central trench will be the four Platonic solids, each of which will be lit up individually. Audience members are invited to enter the structure, and the mirrors will cast an image of them that seemingly repeats forever.
Click here to learn more.
These illustrations are PR concepts for Bulldog London Dry Gin. The first is a PR music box, which includes a vinyl player, a bottle of the gin, and an iconic studded choker. The second concept is an event travelling low alcohol bar which will allow people to experience the gin in a new way.
Concepts designed for Bugaboo adverting and marketing campaigns.
These illustrations feature bold, vibrant colours and distinct designs that capture the spirit of Bugaboo's products and its mission to empower parents to live more active lives with their children. Each illustration is tailored to the specific needs of the Bugaboo adverting and marketing campaigns commissioned by The Fitting Room. These illustrations feature activities that bring families together. The illustrations are stylised in a way that resonates with the Bugaboo brand and its core values of adventure, exploration, and family. The illustrations are designed to capture the idea that Bugaboo strollers are a source of excitement, discovery and possibility.The illustrations are designed to be fun and lighthearted, portraying the sense of adventure that users may experience when pushing their Bugaboo stroller.
In collaboration with Camden Town Brewery and gal-dem, this work was featured as part of a summer promotional campaign, with the theme of "Fresh". I was one of nine artists redefining beer culture with Camden Town Brewery. When I thought of "Fresh" as the theme, I was imagining the fashion trends of the 2000s, massive hoop earrings and bold makeup. The illustration wasn't meant to be me, but I still found it very relatable. It was a fresh look at urban style, showcasing Black identities through trends, fashion, and makeup.
The artwork was featured on promotional packaging, and customers were encouraged to order free T-shirts from the official website.
For the '“Eat Pies: Plant Trees” project, I collaborated with Pieminister to design a “tree-towel” that incorporated depictions of people enjoying an urban green space in the summer. The towel featured lush green trees, bright colours and people of all ages enjoying picnics, playing games, and socializing. The idea was to bring to life the joy of being in nature and the positive impact that trees have on our environment. The towel was designed with Pieminster’s logo to help promote their campaign. By purchasing this towel, customers were helping to support Pieminister's initiative to plant 5000 trees. The limited edition tea towels generate a £1.50 donation towards to Pieminsters forest fund.
Commissioned by The FA, this piece is a celebration of Rebecca Spencer, Danielle Carter, and Rachel Yankey's achievements for Barclays WSL. On August 28, 2011, Rebecca Spencer, Danielle Carter, and Rachel Yankey became the first Black champions of the Barclays WSL as Arsenal WFC claimed the inaugural league title. This artwork celebrates their achievement and aims to demonstrate their incredible accomplishment, and celebrate them across The FA social media platforms as part of a Black History Month campaign.
Adidas x Footlocker's "Step Into You" Market Place was a one-day pop-up event to promote their women's collection, inspired by Y2K fashion aesthetics. During the event, my role was to live draw customized portraits of the attendees, making each one unique. and personal.
I was commissioned to design a limited-edition poster that embodied the values of the collection. The poster was given as a free gift to the first 100 customers who purchased a pair of trainers from the collection at Footlocker Brixton store.
A piece for an essay written by Paula Akpan called "Black British Lesbians", which looked at the contributions and struggles of Black British lesbians in a historical context.
“The Queer Bible is a collection of essays written by queer icons, about the queer trailblazers throughout history who inspired them.
From Elton John on Divine to Graham Norton on Armistead Maupin; Russell Tovey on David Robilliard to Lady Phyll on Moud Goba; Tan France on the Queer Eye cast to Mae Martin on Tim Curry, today's queer heroes write about the icons that provided a creative inspiration to them.
Based on the popular website QueerBible.com, founded by model and activist Jack Guinness,” - queerbible.com
A botanical-themed pop-up event was hosted at Stratford Westfield to promote the fourth season of the Netflix show, Sex Education. The event's theme was positive body image and self-empowerment, and it showcased work from artists across the UK who work with similar themes.
As part of their Black History Month celebration, I collaborated with Lush Bristol Cribbs Causeway to host a pop-up shop with the theme of identity.
The aim was to create an inspiring and bold display and give shoppers the opportunity to purchase limited edition items from my print collection.
Scoop Magazine is a UK subscription magazine for children aged 7+ with stories, illustrations, and more to inspire and entertain curious kids. Every issue brings together a host of incredible writers and illustrators who create original fiction, articles, poetry, puzzles, comics, games, activities, and more.
