49th X Artist Series - Meet Holiday Design Creator - Alex Fowkes
We partnered with B.C. artist Alex Fowkes to create some really special and festive original graphics, coffee lables and gift packaging for our 2024 holiday collection.
MEET ALEX FOWKES
Alex is an award winning graphic designer specializing in typography, murals and installations.
Born in the U.K, but currently residing in British Columbia, Alex is no stranger to travel and working, his work can be found across North America and Europe; Believing that experimentation and play are essential parts of the design process. He enjoys responding to physical environments with typography and graphic artwork with a belief that “on surface artwork commands attention like no other.”
Q&A with Alex
Q. What ignited your passion for typography?
A. Funnily enough during University I was told by a tutor that I needed to "consider my typography more". From there I made a lot of my projects around typography in my final year. A few years after I graduated my first big freelance gig was for Sony Music creating a huge indoor typographic installation at their London head office. This consisted of displaying every artist that had been signed by the label since 1886. 1500 sqft of type setting, 3 months of work and hundreds of names later it was complete.
Q. If you could create a mural anywhere in the world, where would it be?
A. I would love to create an entrance mural at a large festival site, I think the access to creative freedom during a festival is the most fun to play with, also your viewers can be so much more receptive to the work. Including interactive elements or considering how the mural could be viewed in both daytime and nighttime spurs a lot of creative thought. I've always wanted to create artwork that can be explored and not just viewed from one viewing point. Something that can evolve and transform depending on the viewing angle.
Q. Are there any themes or messages you hope to convey through your art?
A. Positivity and optimism are always at the heart of what I do, I approach every task with a can do attitude and I hope that comes across in the colour palettes I chose and the messaging I portray. I like to inspire curiosity with work and bringing attention to things you may not have noticed otherwise.
Q. What are you looking forward to most about the winter holiday season?A. Winter is my favourite season of the year. I moved to B.C. to follow my passion for snowboarding. it's as important to me as my design career & I've been lucky enough to collaborate with a lot of snowsport brands since moving from the UK (almost a decade ago) and hope that continues. I'm super stoked to be able to follow both passions in such an amazing location.
Q. Finally, What's your go-to coffee order?
A.I'm actually pretty caffeine sensitive. So I dont go too crazy with my coffee orders. Usually just a regular latte nowadays, I was pro oat milk but now back to regular milk. I like to make sure I've had breakfast and get my coffee mid morning after walking the dogs...How very wholesome haha.
Thanks, Alex! You can find more of Alex’s work in person all Around the world - especially in B.C. and London and Online at www.alexjfowkes.com