Type designer Alex Fowkes adjusts to a different pace of life in Vancouver

Alex Fowkes is an award winning British graphic designer, known for his typographic work, installations & murals. Having spent most of last year splitting his time between France and India, six months ago he settled in Vancouver.

As part of our ongoing series of interviews in collaboration with sister agency WE ARE GOODNESS, we caught up with represented talent Alex Fowkes to find out how relocating to a small town in Canada has sparked a renewed passion for working with the local community.

"Alex Fowkes

I’ve met a lot of people that need design services and getting involved with businesses at a core level is really exciting both for me and for them. The outdoors have always been a huge draw for me and trying to combine that lifestyle with my work is a very exciting prospect. It’s a hugely inspiring place for many reasons, during the time I’ve been here (six months) only now has it given me a new excitement and spur to push my work and craft in new exciting directions. It’s been a real adjustment for me.

Hand painted skateboard for Coppafeel at House of Vans

Hand painted skateboard for Coppafeel at House of Vans

Can you tell a little about the creative scene in Vancouver city – have you connected with other illustrators / designers since you moved there?

I’m connecting with quite a few people of different levels at the moment, there’s plenty of established artists here already that I’m trying to collaborate with on both a personal and a business level. I’m starting to help a new screen print studio setup with their branding and identity. They have plans to move in to a big studio and turn that space in to both a print studio and creative/collaborative workspace which is really exciting. I think after 5 years of running a studio and creating artwork on my own (often in isolation) I’m desperate to collaborate and get some exterior influence to help push my work forward and most importantly have fun and make some meaningful connections.

"<yoastmark

After 5 years of running a studio and creating artwork on my own I’m desperate to collaborate and get some exterior influence to help push my work forward and – most importantly – have fun and make some meaningful connections.

Alex Fowkes

How do you best hope to match your passions (snowboarding, skateboarding) with future creative projects? Are there any specific brands (locally or nationally) that you’ve got your sights on?

My passions for board sports and my design work have always been pretty separate. I’ve never created work for the brands I look up to. Its something I would certainly love to do but I almost want it to be a natural progression rather than making a conscious effort to go after it. I’m happy chasing the work I know and I’m known for. For example I’m talking with interior design studios here about making murals and environmental artwork for their clients, the development part of a project is always the most exciting part for me. For now my passions are just a great way for me to escape everything and enjoy what I’m doing.

 

In the studio

In the studio

For now my passions are just a great way for me to escape everything and enjoy what I’m doing..

Alex Fowkes
"<yoastmark

How do you deal with the challenge of balancing freelance work on the move? What do you love most about living out of a backpack?

Minimalising your life really allows you to concentrate on what you enjoy. It allows you to find out all those little things about yourself you never really knew and understand how your brain ticks. Its been quite a journey for me the past year or so. I’ve found out a lot about how I work, how I don’t like to work, what drives me, what doesn’t drive me, why I lost confidence or why I’m inpatient. I’m hoping after going through this journey I’m then able to use what I’ve learnt about myself to then create an environment where I can enjoy every aspect of work and really push my creativity.

"<yoastmark

Last year you launched Drawing Type, and the follow up ‘Expressive Type’ has just been released! Can you tell us more about this title, and what reader’s can expect? Can you tell us anything about the artists and designers you’ve chosen to include?

Drawing Type was released in 2014, it was my first venture in to the book world and one I never thought I would ever really explore, I’m no writer and my spelling and grammar has a long way to go. It took a year to create and I’ve learnt a lot about the process. My second book was more of a streamlined process I tried to listen to feedback and make it a book with content that keeps on giving, depending on the project you are working on or idea you have in your head.

Expressive Type

Expressive Type – the second book by Alex Fowkes

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Expressive Type was released at the back end of March and we are just gearing up all the promotional work now, there some really great designers in there that I look up to, from Gemma O’Brien to Jon Contino, Chad Micheal Studio and Lauren Hom. I tried to get as much about the process of each project in there as I could. We’ve divided the content by medium rather than by a specific style this time e.g. Branding, Packaging, Environmental and Self Initiated. Each category has a little bonus brief in the back which is just a prompt for anyone interested in making their own project taking inspiration from the book as a base for a self initiated project.

Minimalising your life really allows you to concentrate on what you enjoy. It allows you to find out all those little things about yourself you never really knew and understand how your brain ticks.

Alex Fowkes
"<yoastmark "<yoastmark

In recent years your creative output has increasingly focused on large outdoor and indoor type projects. Such as the ongoing series of graphic murals for Urban Outfitters, and recent work for Saddington Baynes and Terranova Style. What do you enjoy most about scaling up your work in this way?

Working within any environment is a really great process. I love it when a client has an interesting space and a brief that allows me to really work with the space. Create something that works together with the interior or exterior as a whole. It’s these kind of constraints that allow you to add new elements that you’ve never tried before.

Saddington Baynes originally came to me and said they wanted all three of their brand values on one wall in the break out zone. As soon as I was in the space I could see potential for more. To spread the values around the room, and wrap ‘Be Courageous’ around a 90 degree corner! Do something with my typographic murals that I’ve never done before.

Combining interior design and graphic design is great fun for me. I love immersing myself in the process, and seeing how it can transform a space. It’s why I make such a point of documenting each piece I create.

"Saddington

Combining interior design and graphic design is really fun for me. I love watching the process of it transform a space.

Alex Fowkes
"Saddington

What are your aspirations for the rest of 2017? Do you have any specific bucket list ideas you’re itching to tick off ?

Aspirations for 2017 are to get some solid work in the local community here in Canada. Its really nice to see people get so stoked and really thankful for the work you do for them. I want to then try and push my work in a new direction. I’m not really sure what or where that might be. I feel like I need to develop on what I have. Perhaps collaborate with new people to where my work goes, or it could be from within.

I would love to get involved with one of the many outdoor brands. Whether its snowboarding, mountain biking or skateboarding.

Alex Fowkes

I feel like the rest of this year is going to be one of new things. I want to try and look at using new materials and tools, expose myself to newer processes. That could be anything from natural materials or utilising tablets and Photoshop more. I feel like I’m ready for that challenge.

"<yoastmark

Alex Fowkes is represented by WE ARE GOODNESS, the sister agency of Inkygoodness.

Visit www.wearegoodness.com or www.alexfowkes.com

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Posted on Jun 5th, 17 by | Twitter: @lisahassell

Founder & director of Inkygoodness, Lisa is a published writer and arts journalist, focusing on creative business, graphic art and illustration and design education. Her words regularly appear in Computer Arts, Creative Bloq, Digital Arts and IdN.

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