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CUL TURE
Kristjana
Williams in her
studio and
examples of her
complex cut and
paste work
DIGITA L NA TIV E: SHA W N SO H
Sohí s work is
fascinating and
slightly disturbing:
think a short fi lm
by D avid L ynch
with Alexander
M cQ ueen
as creative
director
W HER E GR A PHIC DESIGN M EETS A R T: K R ISTJA NA S W ILLIA M S
Th e i n t ri c ac y of K ri s t jan a S
W i l l i am s ’ s w ork i s m at c h ed
on l y b y i t s b eau t y . M i n i n g a
ri c h v ei n of b ri gh t l y c ol ou red V i c t o-
ri an a, W i l l i am s h as c reat ed a b od y
of w ork ran gi n g f rom m ap s t o fi n e
art p ri n t s an d i n t eri or p rod u c t s .
H er m o d u s o p er and i s c u t an d
p as t e, c reat i n g d et ai l ed c ol l age
w orl d s i n h ab i t ed b y an i m al s t h at
h ark b ac k t o a Ph i l eas F ogg- f eel i n g
p as t . E n gl i s h - b orn , W i l l i am s m ov ed
t o I c el an d at t h e t en d er age of t w o.
S h e l at er ret u rn ed t o E n gl an d
w ork i n g as a s u rv ey or, b ef ore
fi n d i n g h er grap h i c c al l i n g an d
goi n g on t o s t u d y at L on d on ’ s au s p i -
c i ou s C en t ral S ai n t M art i n s art
s c h ool . S h e s et u p h er ow n b u s i n es s
i n 2 0 1 2 an d h as b een garn eri n g
at t en t i on an d aw ard s ev er s i n c e.
I t ’ s a m eas u re of t h e p op u l ari t y of
h er w ork t h at h er s t y l e i s n ow b ei n g
p i c k ed u p an d em u l at ed b y
m ai n s t ream c om p an i es .
n S i c h . H h n h
b b i n d h i m n c l i l i l
, b h i n n d c
h h l l f T h i p i c i i b m
i h i d h L d C
i n M i n c l i n 2 0 1 5 ( h c l
i h l m m N h B ) .
D A f t l i i d p i h S c i n
b l k d i h m i ,
h i n d i i d m
p c i h
p l i c i m h i n m . T h i c
f c i n i d l i l d i i n h i n k h l m
d i b E - D i d L n c h i h A l -
M
d M c Q c i d i D
Sh aw oh s a “ on e t o w at ” e as ’ t got a u ge
od y of w ork eh or a en t s t as on g as
y ou r arm u t e’ s got raw t al en t ab u an e
t at s u gges t s e’ go ar. s red t on s as ed al os t
en t rely on s grad u at e egree s ow at on on ’ s en t ral
Sa t art s art ol ege wh ere e ol ab orat ed
w t fi ak er at an ael rook s
igit al er if e s a v eo ec e t at s aw oh reat g a
s eri es of s t ark ac an wh t e u an v gn et t es wh ere
t e v u al s t ak e on a u t at ed ap earan e v a t e
ap at on of orp g at eri al s e effec t s at on e
as at ng an s gh t y s t u rb g – t a s ort fi
rec t ed y an ras erh ead era av y w t ex an Above: Shawn Soh. ain image, above and right: images
er u een as reat v e rec t or.
from Sohí s igital Af terlif evideo
S h e s ay s t h at h er c h rom at i c ex u b eran
c e i s a reac t i on agai n s t t h e grey -
s c al e n at u re of I c el an d an d h er
w ork h as b een p oet i c al l y d es c ri b ed
as t h e “ v i s u al eq u i v al en t of eat i n g a
b ox of ri c h , i n v en t i v e an d , c ru c i al l y ,
h an d - c raf t ed c h oc ol at es ” . R ec en t l y
s h e c reat ed a 5 m b y 2 . 8 m c ol l age
f or t h e 3 2 n d fl oor of L on d on ’ s
S h ard s k y s c rap er an d a p i ec e f or
M ay f ai r’ s C on n au gh t H ot el t h en
u s ed as t h e b as i s f or 1 6 0 b ran d ed
p i ec es , f rom ‘ D o n ot d i s t u rb ’ s i gn s
t o m en u s an d u m b rel l as .
4 8 j THE DESIGN ISSUE
THE DESIGN ISSUE j 4 9