Where do you go for inspiration?

It’s a bit all over the place. I cannot deny the influence of the internet, Instagram and social media overall. The mix of different art, references and memes definitely has a big influence on what I do, especially the chaos of it. But I also try to look outside of the world of design, illustration and music, and look at mundane things and try to bring that into my world. It’s a mix of as many things as possible.

Talk us through the process of creating artwork for Selfridges Celebrates.

I’m a big fan of Angela Kirkwood, who designed the artwork for Selfridges Celebrates last year. [Her work] was very cartoonish, so I went for a more airbrush style, which is still a bit cartoonish, but it’s also a bit trippier and weirder. When I drafted the first sketches, I was very happy that Selfridges was into the weirdest ideas I sent. So, I just went down that route, trying to make something beautiful that people can relate to and that feels emotional and friendly. I’m so used to seeing imagery for all these holidays – you know, the clichés – and before I started, I was like, “Oh, it’s gonna be so easy to run away from all that stuff,” but it’s not. The only way I found to make it unique was to add weird elements.

What’s your favourite celebration of the year?

Halloween. People dress up, and there’s no pressure to do anything. It can be silly, fun or scary. It’s just a party.

We’re bringing your work to life in our Selfridges London windows with animation and inflatable artworks. What’s your favourite medium to work in?

I do a lot of different kinds of work, and I loved doing these flowers [for the Duke Street windows] that are all twisted and deconstructed. Now, those drawings are being brought to life as a sculpture in the windows, and I’m very excited to see them in real life because it’s the first time I’ve had an inflatable sculpture made of my work. The animation by my friend Scott Gelber has transformed my work, and it’s become even trippier and more abstract. I feel the most comfortable with drawing, but I get more excited when that’s translated into something that I have no idea how to do. 

How would you like people to feel when they encounter your work?

I’d like them to feel a bit confused or at least make them stop and look at it and try to understand what’s happening. I know that’s not what most graphic designers should do – we should just be clear and transmit information – but nowadays, with the internet, everything is so rapid. I’m attracted to things that feel a bit confusing, messy and weird, that force me to stop and stare at it to try and figure out what’s happening. But at the end of the day, I just hope people laugh, smile and connect with it.

Who would your dream collaborator be?

Selfridges, of course! But I would love to design a theme park. I feel like, once I do that, I will stop doing graphic design for the rest of my life. But I have no idea how to design a rollercoaster, so I don’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon. But who knows? Maybe one day.

In one sentence, describe what you want your 2024 to look like.

I want the world to feel less messy, scary and weird, and for everyone to be nice to each other.