Interview with Kawleen Singh, LICC Winner in ILLUSTRATE (Graphic) in the non-Professional category, about how people’s fear of abandonment of their pets post covid was the idea behind her artwork.

 

 

 

 

 Why did you choose to pursue a career as an illustrator? When did you realize you wanted to pursue this as a career?

Creating anything visually always fascinated me. Letting my hand do the creation of what my mind thought was the best decision I ever made.  I started this journey as a child participating in school activities and then making a career out of it by signing up for a design school.

How does it make you feel to win this award? 

It feels amazing to win this award. This win not only makes me extremely happy but also makes me feel honored. A confirmation that I am heading in the right direction.

What do you feel makes your work stand out, that drew the judges’ attention to it?

A great design is something that serves a purpose, a solution to a problem through design. What I believe got the judges’ attention is the problem that covid brought upon the animal community and what it is predicted when things go back to normal.

 How did the idea behind your winning project come about?

For this project, a social cause had to be kept as the key point. When Covid-19 had started affecting our lives, all we thought was to come out stronger through all the problems. And one of the problems some people feared was the abandonment of pets when things went back to normal.

What do you see as the most significant difficulties and opportunities in your current job/industry? 

The idea of being able to work for any employer from anywhere has been a great opportunity for so many of us.

Tell us a bit about your creative process. Where do you find your inspiration?

Inspiration is everywhere. But to get to the best possible result, I prefer backing my designs with good research. The result is always so satisfying.

Who or what are your biggest artistic influences?

So far there have been a lot of influences but if I had to mention some recent ones, I would like Max Huber, Luba Lukova, Paula Scher, Giorgia Lupi and many more.

How has your own style evolved over time?

With time and a great guidance by my professors at Savannah College of Art and Design, Atlanta, I have learned to have a better control of my design and my designs have become mature.

What are your long-term professional objectives?

As a designer I want to keep learning and become even better at what I do. I would also love to make a positive impact in the world with my designs.

View the winning project of Kawleen Singh here.