LJMU Graphic Design and Illustration – Class of 2020
With many of 2020′s graduates missing out on in real life degree shows, we invited some of our ones to watch from LJMU’s Graphic Design and Illustration BA to introduce their work…
I have a passion for moving image and 3D technology and gaming which has led me to venture into games design using the Unity engine. My final project Biome Explorer (below) is a free-roaming adventure game where you play as an environmental scientist whose objective is to explore areas of the world discovering effects caused by climate change and collecting research to help understand and combat these issues.
My project featured in this year’s graphic arts publication (below) is inspired by James Bridle’s podcast New Ways of Seeing and visualises the invisible networks and infrastructure of the internet.
I’m a huge fan of Risograph printing and love experimenting with various printing techniques. The tangibility of printed matter is something that I enjoy, particularly in a digital age where the longevity of content is often short lived.
Much of my recent work is inspired by 1990s rave culture and the concerns of documenting and archiving this culture through print and digital processes.
I base my projects on expressive typography and a love of print processes. Exploring the craft side of design and making tangible final pieces motivates me and excites me.
Originally from Bulgaria, I love exploring my cultural heritage by importing unconventional elements of Bulgarian culture into my self-initiated type design and publication projects with the simple yet engaging aim of trying to make people more curious about my small but very old country.
A Letter to My Selfie (below), which is featured in this year’s degree publication, explores communicating between a virtual and ‘real life’ self by combining photography and social media. When you live in another country with another culture and another language, getting to know locals can be a little bit more complicated than usual and being far from your loved ones doesn’t help. With the help of apps like WhatsApp and Instagram I got the chance to keep in touch with my friends and family whenever I want and get to know new people on IG who got to know me better through my photography. This work has been selected by Open Eye Gallery to be digitally exhibited as part of independents biennial 2020.
The project Liverpool & Smithdown (below) was born out of the necessity to document an experience from the point of view of a foreign student living in Liverpool. That experience was used to find a different perspective of the city that represents the hidden beauty of Liverpool.
My work stars strong non-conforming women, it is heavily inspired by female punk bands of the 70s, who inspired so many women to rebel and be creative. The idea of rebelling is prevalent throughout my work, whether it be against the patriarchy or protesting against the status quo.
My final project Women of Punk is a personal homage to the female punk bands of the era such as The Slits and Bush Tetras, highlighting the influence these bands had that’s often written out of history. They inspired so many women to rebel and be creative and it’s a legacy that continues to live on today. My animation project featured in this year’s graphic arts publication explores the loneliness and the mundanity of the day-to-day.
See more work from LJMU’s class of 2020
