BENTO Issue 08 by Bento Box Design Studio

September 2019

ISSUE | 08 FEATURING PERTH-BASED GRAPHIC DESIGNER MELANNIE LAI

© 2019 Bento Magazine All rights reserved. BENTO is a bi-annual online magazine of all things art and design brought to you by Bento Box Design Studio. A collection of innovative and eye-catching visuals in the one place ready to inspire and open your mind to new and exciting things. BENTO prides itself in featuring emerging creatives consisting of local, national & international talent. We understand how important it is to follow your passion and how little opportunities there are for you to get your name out there. Through BENTO, we want to connect aspiring designers together with other like-minded individuals all across the world. Bento Box Design Studio aims to build a wide community involving all facets of art and design. If you are interested in becoming a contributor and submitting a piece for our next issue please follow the steps found at bentoboxstudio.com.au/magazine . We would love to see what else is swimming around in the minds of creatives. If you would like to work with us on any further issues of BENTO we are always looking for opportunities to collaborate. Reproduction of this publication in whole or in part is prohibited in any form or by any means, including photocopying, scanning or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the editor, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the editor, addressed “Attn: BENTO Permission”, to info@bentoboxstudio.com.au The views expressed in BENTO Magazine are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily shared by the publisher, company or its staff. Design by Bento Box Design Studio Cover artwork by Melannie Lai

BENTO ISSUE 08

Contents

Contributors

Our Partners Propel Youth Arts WA

Ainsley Grant

Caitlin Kirk

Courtney Thane

Ella Seymour

Helena Ravenne Langer

Jane Suteerawanit

Jessica Hicks

Jessie Yong

Karolina Lutkiewicz

Lorik Khodaverdian

Luke Griffiths

Mei Yee Loh

G R A P HI C D ESI G NER | PERT H, WA

Nathon Webber

Perth-based graphic designer Melannie Lai loves to create work that is fun and playful, yet simple. Creating artwork that can be appreciated by everyone brings her much joy. To make sure her work is approachable, Melannie keeps away from radical or heavy content, preferring clean forms and colour palettes. This helps her to serve up ‘tasty’ designs!

Nayeli Lavanderos

Naz Sumadi

Sam Mead

Thao Van Vu

Propel Youth Arts WA is the peak body for youth arts in Western Australia dedicated to creating access and opportunities for young people to engage in the Arts.

Cheeky Raptor

It’s an almost universally accepted fact that more often not, artists are the ones who get shafted when trying to get their work into the world. It was with this in mind that Cheeky Raptor was born. Born to give artists a decent cut for what they produce. We work with local artists to produce their work and provide a platform to showcase their talents. All that the artists need to do is what they do best - create.

Featured Creative Melannie Lai

Our Partners

Propel Youth Arts WA I N S T A G R A M | @ p r o p el yout hart swa F A C E B O O K | p r o p e l y o ut hart swa W E B S I T E | p r o p e l . o r g .au

For this issue, we had the opportunity to sit down with Cecile Vuaillat, Project Coordinator at Propel Youth Arts WA. Helping young people between the ages of 12 and 26 to develop their skills and expanding accessibility to the arts since 2003, Propel is the peak body for youth arts in Western Australia. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a young, emerging artist based in Western Australia, connecting with Propel can provide you with a world of opportunity to expand your skills and meet other creative professionals who can help you achieve your dreams. So, Cecile, tell us a little about yourself and how you got involved with Propel! I was an intern for the 2016 Youth Week KickstART Festival. My friend was the creative coordinator and dragged me into volunteer coordination, I was freaking out a little bit as I was only six months out of uni. So I did that and obviously did something right because the job coincidentally became available. I do have an arts management degree from WAAPA and have volunteered at a bunch of other places as well. My role here has really grown. It started as two days per week solely on the funding programme we run, Drug Aware Y-Culture. (We offer up to A$3000 for young artists to develop their own projects, develop skills, and connect with others.) In my role, I now do most of the logistical planning of our events like Mosaic, The Sketchbook Project and KickstART, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lots of fun.

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PROJECT COORDINATOR

CECILE VUAILLAT

PROPEL YOUTH ARTS WA

CECILE VUAILLAT

“ P ropel exists to su ppor t those p eo ple a n d tel l them yes, th ey ’re a ctual l y doi ng am azi ng , imp o rta nt work . Bec au se they are .”

You do a lot of work with a lot of creative people dedicated to making Western Australia a more creative place to live. How does working at Propel make you feel? It’s so incredibly rewarding! When I graduated from Uni, I knew I loved the arts, but I didn’t know specifically what it was that I felt I could do. Coming into Propel, I’m young, I’m only 24 years old and the fact I can really make friends and help them and their careers, inspire them and drive them to do better in their creative capacities is absolutely incredible. Some people on the committee, they stumble across this opportunity and they join and they just want to make friends or increase their confidence. They’re the kind of people I really take under my wing and look after and they come back with so much energy and happiness. A previous youth committee member sent through a ten second testimonial video about why he loves Propel. It was the most beautiful thing that just made me cry and I was like this is why I do my job. To help people and give them that extra little bit of motivation and help them believe in themselves and that what they’re doing is actually amazing. Propel exists to support those people and tell them yes, they’re actually doing amazing, important work. Because they are. But a lot of artists don’t realise that, it’s just the daily struggle for them. They don’t really have a lot of opportunities out there, or they don’t realise there’s a lot out there. We do everything we can, we’re always talking to all these people about what we can do to help them, support them and usually we can. Which is good. I’ve changed my role so that I can really have that one on one time with some amazing people and offer even extra time to just sit down and have a coffee with them, give them some advice if they feel lost or overwhelmed and be like ‘hey, it’s gonna be okay, we’ve got you’. What are some of the ways you help young artists or people trying to get into a creative field. I wish it was something we advertised more that we do. Our door is completely open if there’s an artist out there that’s not totally certain or they’re a bit lost. I got a call from an artist and she said ‘can I talk to you about grants? They’re freaking me out. I’ve got this residency in Albany I don’t know what to do, I’ve got no money’ I said ‘Yep! Let’s grab a coffee. We’ll have a sit down and talk about what kind of options there are for you to apply for grants’. So I directed her to the country arts grant and the DCA grant and said you can send any drafts to me and I can give you feedback, we can create a really good strong grant application for you.

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Even for volunteers, I say ‘send me your resumes, I’ll read over them and edit that for you’. Jamie and I are both references and we can write letters of support and tee people up with mentors. For example, if someone is a young poet and they’re not sure how to develop their skills we know a few more emerging or established poets who we can connect them with. Do you work with other groups within Perth to deliver programmes? We’re always partnering with other arts organisations. Even YACWA, the Youth Affairs Council of Western Australia, they’re not necessarily in the arts but they’re particularly connected with young people especially in at-risk situations and they’ve got a lot of branches like the YDAN, Youth Disability Advocacy Network and YPN, Youth Pride Network, so they’re very connected with young people. But definitely a lot of the arts organisations around, we use for venues or they know professionals outside of that 12-26 age bracket. We are always happy to partner up for new ideas and inspiration and artists, it’s great. Because we are small, we depend on meeting people and talking to them and introducing them to what we do and how we can help each other. In WA, we are the only organisation that focuses on youth arts. Compared to other organisations, we are super small, there are a lot of arts organisations that have their own youth branch but it’s usually very small. The fact we literally only focus on young people 12-26 and cater especially to them is unique to us. We try to make all of our projects accessible to people across WA but accessing those regional areas are a bit harder. For the moment we’re doing really well accessing the Perth metro area, we know a lot of people doing a lot of amazing things. But we are reaching out to people like Country Arts WA and Community Arts Network to try and branch out. What’s your favourite project you’ve worked on so far? KickstART festival for sure, Mosaic as well is a photography project we’ve been doing every year in August. We release an open callout for everyone, this is not restricted by age either. People register and then on Capture Day they take a picture of anything they want, it can be their backyard, it can be their dog, it can be the beach, some people send in some incredible photos! Then they send it to us for a public exhibition where we display every image in chronological order, from, say, 5am till midnight. We display it in a mosaic kind of format so it’s this huge timelapse of pictures in a tiny space. It’s really beautiful. We get about 300 submissions, maybe a little bit more.

P H O T O G R A P H Y | Re b e c c a M a nse ll (@ r e b e c c a ma nse ll)

2016 Sketchbook Exhibition at the State Library of WA

“We do photography workshops in September, capture day, which is the day when everyone takes the photo is the end of September, then October we curate all the pictures, then end of October/start of November is when the exhibition will be. It’ll be available to the public in Wesley Quarter, we’ve got a shopfront there. But kickstart for sure is colossal.” Do you have any plans for next year already? No! The thing is, it’s different every single year. We release a call out where we accept submissions from people who want to programme our festival. So they’ll be completely different to our Creative Coordinator this year, Maddie Godfrey, who was a young poet. We’ve got some people we would love to work with again and I know some people from this year’s committee would love to come back again but other than that, I have no idea what’s going to happen. It’s kind of terrifying but exciting. Even the design is different, the theme is different, our partners are different, yeah, it’s great! What do you find are the biggest barriers to working in the arts? In Perth, just the fact that it’s very small, there aren’t a lot of jobs. That’s huge, it’s a huge barrier. I was unemployed for about 6 months before I got this position. So I would say that is the hardest, to find that job, that foot in the door opportunity in the arts. That’s why at Propel we try to make things as accessible as possible. Age wise I’ve not had too many issues. For myself, I’m very privileged, I’m young, a female, I came from a very good background and I’ve had a lot of privileges from that, I don’t take any of that for granted. The arts are a very inclusive environment as well, there’s nothing but love from everyone. Do you find there aren’t too many barriers you come up against in the industry, being a young woman? There can be if you’re in a room full of dudes in suits, which I haven’t really been in that situation too often. But there’s definitely a lot of gender disparity, more men in positions of power in the arts even though its a female dominated industry. That’s something we try and question and challenge as well, especially seeing as there are so many more of us. It is a barrier, definitely, but it’s something we’re always working towards changing and fixing. Slowly but surely.

We saw on the Propel website that all of the staff present their pronouns. Yeah! That was Maddie’s influence actually, Maddie is non-binary. They weren’t forceful about it, they didn’t really mind if someone misgendered them, but it was something they were really passionate about, getting pronouns on there. We work with a lot of artists who are non-binary or gender fluid and still questioning who they are. It’s all a part of what we can do to make the arts more accessible and help people to feel more comfortable in the space. For people who want to get involved with Propel, what’s the best way for them to do that? We’d love to increase our membership, it’s totally free for anyone under 26. Once they do that, they automatically go onto our database to receive e-newsletters and they can receive some extra benefits like they can come into the office and if they need a space to study or work they can use our space here and they can approach us for some advice. Another option to do that is just email us with a question and we’ll get back to them for sure. They can also keep up with what’s happening on our social media. But yeah, sign up for the e-newsletters because there’s always amazing things in there. What kind of stuff will they see coming through? We fill our e-newsletters with a lot of events and opportunities. We’ve focused a lot more on sourcing jobs that are available in the arts that could be made available to members. We also release callouts for the creative coordinator; if we need volunteers it goes in there. The internship programme will also be going out, we need a lot of interns for next year’s kickstart festival. We also share news about which young artists are doing amazing things out there. It’s really about building that community and getting people introduced to what amazing people are doing out there and then they can get involved in Propel and learn a lot more. It really sounds like you are doing some awesome work here, we can’t wait to see how the Perth arts space evolves, we see amazing things for Propel!

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PROPEL YOUTH ARTS WA

MOSAIC 2019

Mosaic 2019 On Saturday 28 September 2019, Propel Youth Arts WA invites you to join us in documenting 24 hours of life in Western Australia through your eyes.

How to Register REGISTER | Now – Friday 27 September Register for Mosaic Capture Day at http://bit.ly/mosaic_19

Presented by Propel in partnership with the City of Perth, Mosaic is a truly unique project that explores the collective memory of Western Australians. Every year, hundreds of people of all ages and backgrounds across WA step behind their cameras to capture and submit an image from their day for Mosaic Capture Day.

CAP TURE | Saturday 28 September Capture a highlight of your day on your camera or phone. Share it with the hashtags #mosaicprojectwa and #propelyouthartswa.

From Elizabeth Quay to Esperance, Applecross to Albany, each photograph tells an individual story about each of our participants. All photos submitted are included in the Mosaic Exhibition, providing a breathtaking snapshot of what a day in WA really looks like.

Film Photography Event Details DATE | Saturday 14 September, 2019 TIME | 9am – 11.30am L OC A T I O N | Blue Room Theatre. 53 James Street, Northbridge. TO B R I N G | A film camera (If you don’t own a film camera please let us know prior to booking and we’ll confirm if we can supply one for you). P R IC E | $25 for Propel members, $30 for non-members .

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SH ARE | Saturday 28 September – Sunday 06 October We’ll send an upload link for photo submissions 2 weeks beforehand. It will also be available at this website. V ISIT | Tuesday 22 October – Sunday 24 November Attend this year’s Exhibition at Wesley Quarter in Perth.

Even though everything is overwhelmingly digital these days the influence of film remains palpable. From photo app filters that emulate film to digital cameras designed to look like vintage ones, film continues to affect how we perceive the aesthetics of photography in general. Well-known Perth photographer Chris Beecroft shoots exclusively with film and will teach participants how to navigate a manual film camera. The workshop will take you through techniques including looking at the basics of exposure and composition, metering for light, different film stocks and film sizes, Chris will then take participants to the streets for some film shoot practice.

P H O T O G R A P H Y | T a sha Fa ye (@ ta sha .f a ye )

P H O T O G R A P H Y | Re b e c c a M a nse ll (@ r e b e c c a ma nse ll)

Exploring Aesthetics Event Details D A T E | Saturday 21 September, 2019 T I M E | 9am – 11.30am L O C A T I O N | Blue Room Theatre. 53 James Street, Northbridge. T O B R I N G | A DSLR, spare battery and spare SD card. Feel free to bring any other camera accessories or filters that you might want to use. P R I C E | $25 for Propel members, $30 for non-members. Industry professionals Tasha Faye and Rebecca Mansell will be collaborating to bring you this fun and hands on workshop that will help you explore your photography aesthetic! Tasha will bring her expertise in portraiture and Beck will reveal her secrets to the perfect still life. The workshop will discuss their individual processes and highlight the importance of research and explore different photography styles. This will be a space for you to explore, try things new and old, and most importantly have fun finding your passion!

Animal Furtography Event Details D A T E | Saturday 28 September, 2019 T I M E | 10am – 12.30am L O C A T I O N | Urban Orchard Space (opposite the Art Gallery of WA) A G ES | 12 – 26 P R I C E | $25 for Propel members, $30 for non-members Pets! We have them, we love them, but can we can never take a good photo of them without taking a hundred first right!? Propel are very excited to have partnered up with Saving Animals from Euthanasia Inc. (SAFE) for this amazing workshop! They will bring their friendliest rescue dogs as models and experienced animal photographer Caroline Furst will teach participants all about using varying depth of fields, shutter speeds, capturing motion and incorporating the light and composition to create amazing animal shots. If you’re a young photographer and animal lover this workshop is for you! Please note there are very limited spaces for this workshop so please make sure you book early.

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M O D E L | Wa nya S te pha n (@ w a nya ste pha n)

T E E | ‘Dark And Stormy’ Cheeky Tee

Cheeky Raptor

PHOTOGRAPHY

PETER DAVID HAYES

(@ pe te rdha y e s )

T E E | ‘Don’t Be Bitter’ Cheeky Tee

Cheeky Raptor I N S T A G R A M | @ c hee ky_ ra ptor F A C E B O O K | c heek yr a ptor W E B S I T E | c heek yraptor. com

What is Cheeky Raptor and how did it come to be? Cheeky Raptor is a social enterprise committed to expanding opportunity in the arts through apparel. The idea of Cheeky Raptor really started kicking around at the end of 2017, after Our founders, Josef Herbert and Shalini Balakumar had a conversation around how difficult it is for artists to make money from commissions… let alone passion projects. So we set out to try and create more opportunity for artists to create an income from the projects that they love. Being in our early 20s, we are especially plugged in to the emerging creative community in Perth and get to engage with so many amazing young creatives. So how does Cheeky Raptor create opportunity for artists? We will work with an artist to create a unique piece and then produce, photography, market, sell and fulfil it. Then, they get 50% of the profit from each sale. There’s no cost to the artist at any point. What kind of items do you work with? Our bread and butter is T-shirts but we are always keen to try something new. We started out working with a printing partner but have recently acquired our own screen printer, which means we can print on just about anything. Who have you worked with so far? We’ve had the opportunity to work with a range of really awesome people including Bertie Louise (@bertie_louise) who has a really amazing vapour wave aesthetic, Maddie Antill (@ant.illustration) with her cartoon vibes and Jamie Flunder (@DoodlesInTransit) who does all of his designs on his commute to and from work. We’ve got our first international collaboration with NYC’s Helen Eunhwa Oh (@helen_illust) dropping super soon too and her style is completely different to anything we’ve had before. We really love trying new things and bringing artists with very unique styles onboard. So if you’ve ever thought your work could look amazing on a shirt, get in touch! Sounds awesome, how can people get involved? If you’re an artist with an idea, get in touch! You can reach out to us on our socials or fill out the form on our website. If you’ve got a wild concept, even better!

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Featured Creative

Melannie Lai GRAPHIC DESIGNER | PERTH, WA AGE | 21

I N S T A G R A M | @o ch i b roc hi I N S T A G R A M | @m e l o ny.d esi g n T O O L S | Cl i p Stu d i o P a i nt

Tell us about where it all began and how you discovered your creative talents. What piqued your interest and made you want to study Graphic Design? Throughout my formative years, I knew I wanted to be working in a creative field, and drawing was something I’ve always been doing anyway. Drawing on scrap paper, under the coffee table (sorry, mum!), and in the margins of my math worksheets. It was an outlet for boredom that turned into a hobby. Honestly, doing Graphic Design was kind of a leap of faith! Freshly graduated from high school, I was excited to go into university to study illustration. Unfortunately, it fostered more doubt than inspiration. The experience wasn’t the same as what I expected, but I wasn’t sure what I needed to get out of it either. I dropped out of university after the first year with a vague idea of wanting to do Graphic Design. I never had any experience in it before; trying out something new was a huge gamble, but it was the change I desperately needed. I’m fortunate that it worked out for the better! From what we can see, you love exploring all different kinds of illustrative styles. What style(s) do you gravitate towards the most and why? (This might be 1-3 top styles) Lined, lineless, and rendered styles are the main three I tend to explore, but even those styles have pretty broad definitions and have branching sub-styles. At this very moment, I’ve been experimenting with a lineless style, creating forms through shading and tasty colours. Having said that, I choose to draw in whichever style, simply depending on my mood! I think any artist can relate to that. Even now, I’m still exploring different styles. Currently, I’ve also been really inspired by more of a graphic novel type style, that deals with a strong sense of shape and colour. I am currently exploring this at my own pace. Who and/or what influences your work and why? I’ve had inspirations from both anime and Western comics/games during my childhood, so my personal style is hard to pin down in any category. I’m constantly drawing from different aesthetics that are depicted by other illustrators and designers, which I like to bring through my own style - so there’s not just one creative who influences me. It’s the little things like ‘how they coloured one part of the eye’, or observing where colour blocking is hard edged or soft. However, the one constant influence in my life is food! In both design and illustration, you’ll find me describing works that I like as “tasty”.

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Not only are you studying to complete an Advanced Diploma of Graphic Design, but you also keep busy by attending many Perth events. Rahcon, Madman Anime Festival and Supanova to name a few. Which event would be your favourite to date and why? Do you have any plans to exhibit at any International events? Supanova is the biggest convention in Perth that I am always working towards every single year. It also happens to be my first tabling experience! I love how busy the vibe is, and sometimes it’s the only chance to catch up with some friends. Supanova also has the biggest Artist Alley gathering in Perth, so it just feels great to be amongst the local artist community. I would love to try some international conventions, but it can be quite costly for the average student. There’s a real appreciation for the arts in East Asia, and even over in Sydney and Melbourne, that’s not quite present in Perth. I actually think Perth has every potential to be a buzzing, cultural hub for artists, which I’d love to help make happen! Have you ever been commissioned to do any strange/unusual illustrations? Tell us what the commissioned piece was and where it can be viewed. Nothing too crazy just yet! I’m not sure if that makes me one of the lucky ones! Most of my commissions are just the usual portraits, but at conventions some of my clients are young kids with some interesting ideas. I remember two kids at Supanova 2018 who wanted me to draw a meme of the “no-banana cat”. Apparently they loved it so much, they came back and commissioned another meme of a “no-pancake cat”. There’s another case of a girl who apparently commissions anyone to draw her boyfriend as a “magical school girl”. It’s actually very silly and cute. All my sketch commissions from conventions can be seen on my illustration Instagram @ochibrochi! What is your favourite commissioned project so far and why? They’ve all been pretty standard portraits of family, friends, and characters. I’ve yet to land that big project. Aside from the strange commissions (mentioned above), everything has been quite typical across all years. Take us through your design process. How do you complete your design projects/illustrations from start to finish? If not thumbnails, I’ll do several sketches on the canvas with a vague idea of a composition. I like to keep my initial drawings super loose so that I have more flexibility to change things later on.

TITLE | Regular Order (Artwork 1)

TITLE | Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eat bento! (Artwork 2)

“ Ow n it ‘til you hone it!”

I have separate folders/layers for each process of creating an illustration, which generally stays constant between different styles. An initial sketch layer, then a clean sketch or inked layer on top. Under the clean layer is where I’ll chuck my base colours, which also includes any shading or highlights. I actually work in a pretty destructive manner! So after my foundation, I tend to either merge it, or make a new layer on top of everything and paint over again. It’s a bit like a fusion between digital and oil painting techniques. Have you ever watched an animation, anime, or even read a manga/ comic book which made you think “I wish I illustrated or worked on this”? Please tell us which and why? That’s hard to say! I’ve always appreciated art direction in film or the style in a comic, but I’ve never thought to actually work in that field; the industry seems too cut-throat for me. Honestly, my love for art design will always be with video games, which might be a controversial opinion. Indie games are really paving the way for a new style that’s never really existed in mainstream 10 years ago. Games like ‘Journey’, ‘Donut County’, ‘Old Man’s Tale’, ‘Oxenfree’, and even ‘Katamari’ are all very different games individually (some I haven’t even played before), but each have a distinct sense of art and identity that I would have loved to have developed or worked on! Where they struggle with financial and technical limitations, they make up with a strong sense of shape, colour, and atmosphere. A game that can combine art direction with interactivity and user interface design is such a satisfying, complete package. I’d definitely want to help create a game like that one day! What makes your work instantly recognisable and scream Melannie Lai or Melony Design? I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately. I’ve always been drawn towards things that are fun, playful, and simple, and I think that’s where my design aesthetic stems from. I’m not too fussed about making something groundbreaking, so my work avoids being too radical or content heavy; to create something that is approachable for others to enjoy is already a gratifying reward for me. Clean forms, clean colour palettes, and clean communication is what I’m about - and don’t forget tasty!

If you could spend a week with a well known/established Illustrator or creative who would it be and why? Hideo Kojima is the creator and director of the ‘Metal Gear Solid’ series and upcoming ‘Death Stranding’ game. He’s neither an illustrator nor a designer, but I think he’s an absolute madman, and I’d like to observe just for a day. Kojima is globally acclaimed for the commentary and depth of research behind his creations, and it would be interesting to know his creative process and how it could be applied to all creative fields. Also, it seems like he knows how to have fun and eat well, so I definitely wouldn’t mind restaurant hopping with him, either! What weird food combinations do you really enjoy? Unfortunately, I don’t have an interesting answer for that. I’m generally known to not be very fussy with my food, so maybe I might have eaten something that may seem strange to others. Given that it’s not spicy or bitter, I’ll eat whatever I’m served! However, I am one of the few people who LOVES durian! I even crave it sometimes! What language(s) do you wish you could speak? Does it sound predictable to say Japanese? I’d want to learn for really selfish reasons, like being able to travel to Japan’s rural areas and be able to communicate comfortably! There’s also a lot of games and theatre productions that I’m interested in which have never been localised, so if I ever want to experience them I’ll have to put in the hard work to learn! Please share some advice or tips with our readers who are also aspiring creatives. Keep on making content, even if you think no one sees it! It’s sometimes easy to get discouraged, especially if your work isn’t gaining traction as quickly as you want. I started posting my art online more as an archiving tool, rather than for feedback. That way, it was easier to get into the habit of posting; support will eventually find its way later. If you have a specific style/interest, play to that audience! Never give up! ARTWORK 1 // Inspired by my favourite bubble tea flavour, a global classic - honeydew. ARTWORK 2 // A sister piece to ‘itadakimasu!’ - inspired by Bento Box Design Studio!

A lot of my peers have a very strong, modern graphic design presence, and I think that’s where the industry is going. I really love that bold, edgy, sophisticated, and cool aesthetic too, but I could never be any of those things.

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Contributors

Ainsley Grant GRAPHIC DESIGNER | PERTH, WA A G E | 24

I N S T A G R A M | @an sl y g rnt W E B S I T E | a n s l y g r n t.c om T O O L S | I n k d r a w n w it h Bal sa W ood and Grap hi t e

DESCRIPTION // ‘Sorry…’ is a typography piece based on a quote that represents the youth mindset and fresh way of thinking that young people have, not just towards the creative world, but the world as a whole. We are not trying to cause trouble, we just want to make the world a better place. In terms of the creation of my submission, I experimented with creating block lettering using ink and Balsa wood as a brush to make these letters square and bold. I have digitally manipulated to fade from the forefront to be overlayed with more expressive calligraphy lettering. How would you describe your style? I would describe my style as clean, modern and minimal. I tend to stick to a monochrome colour palette when creating work to focus on the beauty of pure form, rather than being distracted by colour or decorative elements. Briefly outline your creative process. What are the major steps? Research – Whether this is seeking inspiration from certain areas when it comes to personal work, or researching clients when it comes to design work. Concept – My favourite way to get started is to sketch every idea I have onto a huge piece of paper, seeing how they look compared to in my head and using that to generate even more concepts and ideas. Refine – My next step is to look over what I have done and choose the sketches that I want to work on more closely and refine them. Finalise – In this step I usually look to finalise all the tiny details and look for feedback from other creatives to get their opinions on the piece.

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Who and/or what influences your work and why? I find inspiration from other forms of design, including furniture design and architecture, especially from the Bauhaus and Modernist movements as I love the clean lines, geometric forms and the fusion of art and functional design. I also love looking at art and photography for inspiration, including the works of Franz Kline, Damien Hirst and Helmut Newton. Are you a part of any creative groups that you would recommend everyone to join? Guerrilla Establishment – these guys host amazing workshops, tours and exhibition nights. I’ve learned sooooo much about all the different areas of design from going to these events over the past few years - I even did an internship with them! They’ve just moved into a beautiful new space that everyone needs to check out! In your opinion, what is the funniest word in the English language and why? Gobbledygook – a word that looks like total nonsense, which is exactly what it means! What game or movie universe would you most like to live in and why? Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, purely to live in Cameron’s amazing modernist house - one of my all time favourites and ultimate goals! What stereotype do you completely live up to? The best way to find your stereotype is to obviously take a Buzzfeed quiz. I’m the “spend WAY too much time on your phone!” millennial stereotype, which is 100% true!

TITLE | Sorry...

TITLE | Edgar has a picnic

Caitlin Kirk ILLUSTRATOR | PERTH, WA A G E | 28

I N S T A G R A M | @ c c k _c reat i ve B E H A N C E | Cai t l i n K i rk W E B S I T E | c c k d esi gn.me T O O L S | Sk et c h, A d ob e P hot os hop

DESCRIPTION // After reading a number of Edgar Allan Poe’s stories, I felt a little grim. Paying particular attention to his tale ‘The Raven’, I wanted to create an illustration that was satirical and not so dark. The Raven is a cause of distress in this story and playing off this I recreated the situation in a less serious and more common day occurrence. I’m sure everyone has had an experience with a hungry bird eyeing off their food, and that’s where the idea of a couple of birds annoying Edgar at a picnic came from. You can see a bird pull Edgar’s hair, in a metaphorical way messing with his head, while in a less sinister way the other bird tries to steal his biscuit. How would you describe your style? My style of illustration tends to have a tattoo aesthetic, with lots of details. Briefly outline your creative process. What are the major steps? Usually it involves looking at images of something I’m interested in, whether that may be from a recent holiday or just on the net. I then start to doodle on paper and ideate a concept. I studied advertising, so creating an image with a strong concept is paramount to my work. Who and/or what influences your work and why? I don’t think I have one key influencer, but travelling and reading has always been important to my creativity. Observing people in a new environment contributes to a lot of my ideas and I have a particular interest in Asian culture and art. Are you a part of any creative groups that you would recommend everyone to join? Behance has a really inspiring community of creatives from different areas of craft. In your opinion, what is the funniest word in the English language and why? I reached out to Google for help with this and they suggested “Cattywampus”, which sounds like a cat with a big bum. What game or movie universe would you most like to live in and why? I’m already part of the Marvel Universe at my current job. I’m the Winter Soldier, which I suppose makes sense, because I can use my bionic arm to draw for hours. What stereotype do you completely live up to? A creative that stays up late.

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Courtney Thane ILLUSTRATOR | PERTH, WA AGE | 25

I N S T A G R A M | @m e . a nd .0c d ( ment al heal t h seri es) F A C E B O O K | @m e . a n d.0c d ( ment al heal t h seri es) I N S T A G R A M | @co u r tneyt .st ud i o B E H A N C E | Co u r tn e y T hane T O O L S | P e n ci l , F e l t T i p P ens, P ap er, Sc anner, A d ob e P hotos hop a nd Adobe Illus tra tor

DESCRIPTION // The illustration is created to explore the relationship between mental health issues (extruded into a physical character for the purposes of my illustrations) and humans. It highlights the prevalence, persistence and restrictiveness of mental health disorders. This particular submission relates to a symptom I have learned from personal experience and further research and discussion - “walking on eggshells” or attempting not to “step on any cracks”, the cracks representing the triggers of negative mental health experiences. The illustration shows a person walking down a path, a seemingly mundane task for a regular day. The person straight away has to engage with “Old Mate”, a character who infers that the person should not step on the cracks to symbolically avoid triggering any negative feelings. The illustration is a metaphor for having to battle with mental health restrictions with every task of the day. Drawing in this colloquial style with literal representations and a subdued colour palette encourages a more light hearted, palatable and relatable understanding of the lense and experience of having persistent mental health issues. How would you describe your style? I draw with hand drawn, non perfect, often crooked lines and a subdued and partly unrealistic colour palette of a subject matter that is prevalent and sometimes anxiety causing for me. I would describe it as “quirky” and “wonky” with a lot of lines to add patterns to surfaces like tiles, leaves and hair. My style represents a giant exposure therapy process for me, having OCD. Exposure therapy is exposing yourself to the source of anxiety or the subject of phobia to cause a realisation that the phobia or anxiety source will not cause harm, to help overcome anxiety or fear. Briefly outline your creative process. What are the major steps? I begin with a concept or thoughts relating to experiences I’ve had with my own mental health. I then research and discuss to deepen my understanding of this concept, endeavouring to find out how common it is and what the general perception of it is. I then create sketches with a pencil in a notebook to get a feel for layout and panel size for each comic, and how it would best be represented and interpreted. I then trace over my final design in pen, changing line-weights depending on scale. Finally I scan the pen drawing from tracing paper, and clean, edit and colour it in Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. Who and/or what influences your work and why? The subject matter of most of my work is my own mental health situation and thoughts, but is also the processes and discussions around mental

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health are often influence how and what I draw. My illustration tutor from when I was still in university, Stuart Medley, had a large influence on myself perusing illustration and on my style. He highlighted that what is “wrong” with your drawing is actually your style, and that my lines or my shapes or my colours can be so wrong that they’re right. So on this advice and guidance my style was largely developed by exploring how I draw certain elements “wrong” in comparison to reality, and how I can lean into this and make it “mine”. Are you a part of any creative groups that you would recommend everyone to join? I’m the Perth City co host for The Design kids and I find the local page our city very helpful.

BENTO Editor’s Note: If you haven’t heard of TDK before, The Design Kids bridges the gap between college students and professionals, in the Graphic Design industry. It’s a giant resource to help graduates get inspired, get involved, and hopefully get hired! In your opinion, what is the funniest word in the English language and why? Read - because it’s spelled the exact same but can be pronounced two different ways depending on context, like, come on English, explain yourself here haha. What game or movie universe would you most like to live in and why? I would love to live in the Animal Crossing universe. I love the lifestyle, and the routine of each of the tasks in the game. I’d love to live in a world where I can spend all day planting flowers and trees from which I can eat the fruit, living off the land and contributing to a close community in a meaningful way. Playing the game a lot as a kid I associate it with stress relief and calmness. I feel like it has the perfect balance of structure and exploration. Being able to customise the way you live within the boundaries similar to the day to day choices made in real life, it leads to a way of figuring out how life works in topics like the environment and the economy in such a cute and simple form. What stereotype do you completely live up to? I’m Burmese-Australian so I love spicy food! Actually, I love cooking for people, eating and food in general. I think I get it from my nanna.

TITLE | Old Mate

TITLE | Mirrored Leopards

DESCRIPTION // I love animals and drawing them. Leopards are such beautiful creatures, and as an endangered species, I thought they deserved to be drawn. I think this piece will always be special to me, as it was the first illustration that I was really super proud of. Going from thinking I couldn’t draw to creating something I actually loved was a pretty great feeling. It’s somewhat sentimental and will always remain my favourite. How would you describe your style? I would describe my style as simple, flat art. I love illustrating cute things, so you could say my work has child-like qualities. Briefly outline your creative process. What are the major steps? Figuring out what to draw is either the easiest or hardest part of the process. Sometimes I have exactly what I want to draw in mind, and the process will just flow. At other times, I won’t have a clue on what I’m going to draw. When this happens I look for inspiration, usually at my favourite illustrators on Instagram, and hoping something will spark. From there, I’ll sketch out a rough layout then start drawing. Sometimes I’ll be happy with the result after the first go, other times I’ll try over and over again. I don’t always finish them either - there’s plenty of half drawn illustrations in my Procreate gallery! It’s an unpredictable process, but that just keeps it interesting. Who and/or what influences your work and why? I first started illustrating when I thought I couldn’t really draw, and I wanted to improve my skills. As a graphic designer, having multiple creative skills can be really helpful. So I took a digital illustration class at uni, and that’s when I discovered that not only did I really enjoy digital illustration, but I was actually pretty decent at it too!

Fast forward to after I graduated, I invested in a second-hand iPad Pro and began doodling on the train ride on my way to work. At this point, starting was really the hardest part, so I took to Instagram to find some inspiration, and found Rhianna Wurman of @ellolovey and her daily illustration prompts. Each month, she puts out a list of words - or “prompts” - for daily illustrations. I started to draw every day, inspired both by the prompts and her style of illustration that I loved, and began to see myself improve every day! Are you a part of any creative groups that you would recommend everyone to join? The Design Kids! In your opinion, what is the funniest word in the English language and why? Bamboozle - it’s fun to say, and reminds me of dogs! What game or movie universe would you most like to live in and why? Harry Potter! It would be amazing to fly on a broomstick and own an owl. Who could also forget about being able to use magic? I think I’d stay out of Harry’s way though and avoid all that drama. What stereotype do you completely live up to? Crazy bird lady - I have two birds (aka children) and plans to get another one! Everything around me revolves around birds. You can’t go into a room in our house without seeing something bird related; I love to draw birds, I’ll point out every bird I see outside, and my perfect day out is going to visit a bird sanctuary!

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Helena Ravenne Langer ILLUSTRATOR | HAMBURG, GERMANY A G E | 27

I N S T A G R A M | @h e l e n a ravenne_d esi gn F A C E B O O K | @H e l e n aR avenneI l l ust rat i on T O O L S | A d o b e I l l u str at or, A d ob e P hot oshop

DESCRIPTION // In this illustration series, I have tried to capture both the colours and the shapes of the fruits abstractly and quickly in the form of a Digital Paper Cut Out. Especially the imperfect shapes that has an unexpected sweetness. How would you describe your style? Minimalistic, bold, nordic and colourful. Minimalism and simplicity are important characteristics of my personal style and work. My illustration work is best described as graphic, colourful and minimalistic. I try to avoid making my work ‘overdone.’ Simplicity makes me happy; colours, geometric shapes and plants are important features in my work. Briefly outline your creative process. What are the major steps? My work is highly influenced by my love for handmade elements and digital techniques. I do sketch, but the best images are the ones in our heads. Who and/or what influences your work and why? Back when I was taking my first steps in illustration, it was all about finding virtual mentors and role models. It’s really awesome to have someone to look up to and learn from: I couldn’t believe that only three percent of creative directors are female, which definitely triggered something in me. It’s a topic that is very personal to me and I’ve learned how important it is to have inspiring women to look up to, leading the way in their careers and sharing their experiences in this design field. I started by illustrating 25 talented and strong women, from Frida Kahlo

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and Paula Scher to personal, unknown role models. I want to empower women of all shapes and sizes through my artwork. My inspiration changes from day to day. A good morning gives you a good day—that’s why I love to wake up early and enthusiastic and make myself a cup of coffee from my local roasting house. I feel very inspired by botanical gardens and meditation at the moment. Music also has a huge influence on my work and my closest friends feed my inspiration. Are you a part of any creative groups that you would recommend everyone to join? Women Who Draw, Ilovecreatives and etapés. In your opinion, what is the funniest word in the English language and why? Pomegranate - I love the fruit and the second syllable ‘Granate’ could also be used as a compliment in German. You are unbelievable! How beautiful is this name for a fruit? Even if the name was probably chosen because of its shape... What game or movie universe would you most like to live in and why? I think in a film or book by Astrid Lindgren. I love her stories and I think I could find an incredible amount of inspiration for my work as an illustrator. What stereotype do you completely live up to? Germans are always on time. I guess I got that from my mother...

TITLE | Fruits

TITLE | Miru the Blind Elf

Jane Suteerawanit 3D ARTIST | PERTH, WA A G E | 20

A R T S T A T I O N | t i gerjane T O O L S | Z b rush, Maya, Sub st a nce Pa inte r, Ma rmos e t Toolba g, Wa com Ta ble t

DESCRIPTION // ‘Miru’ is a 3D model and original character I sculpted as a personal project. Miru is a blind, but wistful elf. She lives all alone on a dying elven planet called Elonia. Her elven people have escaped Elonia to pursue a prosper and greater life on another planet, leaving Miru behind because of her disability and uselessness. Although she’s blind, Miru has has a fondness and appreciation for the Elonia, greater than any other elf. She enjoys the grass on her feet, and sings to the remaining trees and wildlife. Despite her appreciation for Elonia, Miru often finds herself wistful of what lies beyond what she can smell, hear and touch. A greater longing for the universe, what lies beyond Elonia, and what life on the greater planet everyone has escaped to is like. A gentle longing for the ‘what ifs’. This is what I wanted her body language and facial expression to express as I was posing my model. How would you describe your style? Stylised and semi-realistic are my favourite styles to work in. In this piece I chose a stylised approach. Briefly outline your creative process. What are the major steps? Firstly, I have to design my character, thinking about what she would look like, what shapes, forms and colours she would have, and what clothes she would wear. Secondly, I began sculpting my character from a sphere in Zbrush after solidifying my character design. Thirdly, once the sculpt is done, I create UV maps in Maya in order to create textures for my model. I then proceed to adding texture to my model in Substance Painter and pose my model back in Maya through a process of rigging, where a skeleton is inserted into the model. Finally, after the model is posed, I render and present my model in Marmoset Toolbag. Who and/or what influences your work and why? I was inspired to create Miru as she is a character I personally resonate with. She is a lonely character, but also finds comfort and appreciation in the world and nature surrounding her. It was enjoyable and therapeutic making her, as if I was crafting a friend. I also chose the name ‘Miru’ as it means ‘to see’ in Japanese. Because my character is blind, I thought it would be a good play on irony, while at the same time suited to her character, as the word also means to “notice, perceive, understand and appreciate”. Hence what my character feels towards her planet, greater than any other being. The style of my work is inspired by a fellow 3D Artist by the name of Jacob Ovrick, as he similarly does stylised and low-poly looking models. In your opinion, what is the funniest word in the English language and why? Doozy - because it sounds silly and when I first heard it in a sentence I couldn’t help but laugh. What game or movie universe would you most like to live in and why? I would personally live in a game called “Perfect World International”. It has always been an MMORPG dear to my heart. It has awesome mounts and pets too, such as a giant bunny rabbit, at least 5 times larger than the actual playable character. What stereotype do you completely live up to? That game designers are nerds! I love playing games as much as making them.

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Jessica Hicks ILLUSTRATOR | LONDON, UK A G E | 23

I N S T A G R A M | @jessi c a.hi c k s_ W E B S I T E | jessi c aanne.c om T O O L S | Bl ac k I nk , F i ne Li ner P en, Adobe Photos hop

DESCRIPTION // ‘The Girls’ street art series was first introduced to the walls of iconic Melbourne street art thoroughfare, Hosier Lane. The dainty, ageless and unnamed female identities are victims of graffiti, often painted over and eventually become mortar within the city walls. The illustrations are glued to brick surfaces with traditional homemade wheat paste formula. How would you describe your style? Detailed, feminine and a bit weird. Briefly outline your creative process. What are the major steps? First of all, I have a glass of wine and find some mad hairstyles from old fashion editorials. Then I start drawing the eyes and finish by retouching line work and adding block colour to areas of pattern in Adobe Photoshop. Who and/or what influences your work and why? My friends are the subjects of my portraiture work. I draw their expressions from photos and give them wild features. However, I’ve never admitted to who they are in my series of work. Are you a part of any creative groups that you would recommend everyone to join? Although not a group, I highly recommend The Design Files to keep up to date on the latest Australian design news and local creative talent. In your opinion, what is the funniest word in the English language and why? Groovy - it makes my friends laugh. What game or movie universe would you most like to live in and why? The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) by Wes Anderson. If you don’t know why you need to watch it! What stereotype do you completely live up to? Happy starving creative living the nomad life.

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TITLE | The Girls

TITLE | Dum Booch

Jessie Yong

GRAPHIC DESIGNER | PERTH, WA A G E | 21

I N S T A G R A M | @d um.gal .d raws T O O L S | A d ob e I nD esi g n, A d obe Illus tra tor, Adobe Photos hop

DESCRIPTION // ‘Dum Booch’ is a new quirky brand of kombucha that has a light-hearted tone. It focuses on being different, none of the holistic, naturopath crap. It comes in two flavours - sucky strawberry and mint, and loopy lemon and ginger. How would you describe your style? My style is colourful, bold and quirky. However, sometimes it isn’t as colourful, but can still be quirky. I always aim to be out there and try to do my own whacky typography. Briefly outline your creative process. What are the major steps? I always look at inspiration first, whether it is on Behance, Pinterest (no shame) and general images on the internet. I also look at movies and go outside, try new cafes and look at their branding. Then, I sketch out a bunch of lil drawings. After I am pleased with something I will transfer it onto the computer and design from there, constantly looking at inspiration. Who and/or what influences your work and why? I love artists who don’t make “traditionally pretty” things, although I do admire detailed work which I attempt to do myself. I am influenced by the fashion brand Lazy Oaf and all their collaborations with other brands and artists. They use bright colours, patterns and obscure images to break the norm of society and even design. Are you a part of any creative groups that you would recommend everyone to join? The Design Kids is the only one I am currently in, however AGDA (Australian Graphic Design Association) and PADC (Perth Advertising and Design Club) are ones I aim to join. In your opinion, what is the funniest word in the English language and why? Poop - I have a child-like sense of humour so poop jokes are funny. It’s just short, has a sharp sound and the connotation is funny. What game or movie universe would you most like to live in and why? Animal Crossing - I love the game to death. It’s so wholesome and you can find money in the trees. What stereotype do you completely live up to? As an Asian I will tell you to take off your shoes before coming into the house and make sure you are well fed even if you don’t want to eat.

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Karolina Lutkiewicz ILLUSTRATOR | PERTH, WA A G E | 25

I N S T A G R A M | @l arol i na.k u W E B S I T E | k arol i nal ut k i ewi c z .c om T O O L S | Bl ac k p en, A d ob e Creat i v e S uite

DESCRIPTION // This illustration is about jetlag - that horrible feeling anytime I visit my homeland and back to Australia. Feeling late or too early, out of timeframe and with soft knees. I refer to famous Dali’s painting with distorted watch on a tree. It’s a feeling similar to being trapped in a washing machine and experiencing rinse and drain plus few spins (I imagine). How would you describe your style? Simple, quick, quirky and raw. Briefly outline your creative process. What are the major steps? I illustrate what is currently happening. Anything that’s around, anything that I feel, anything I think. It’s always about now. I always observe surroundings, that gives me ideas that literally pop in my head. I always carry a sketchbook or piece of paper with me so whenever something happens I’m ready. I usually get it straight away but sometimes need a few takes to make sure that I have what I want, then I share it. Who and/or what influences your work and why? I’m constantly influenced by everything around but mostly my friends and people in general. They’re pretty silly and that makes me want to draw them! I love Maurizio Cattelan’s work for surreal approach, freedom and mad sense of humour that make my skin go goosebumpy. Malarko’s colours and boldness please me and rad Devendra Banhart’s lyrics and drawings are out of this world. A-ma-zing! Are you a part of any creative groups that you would recommend everyone to join? I try to follow The Design Kids wherever I go. In your opinion, what is the funniest word in the English language and why? Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious - guess why? Impossible! What game or movie universe would you most like to live in and why? Flat Earth in Terry Pratchett’s DiscWorld where one chance in a million always happens.

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TITLE | Jetlag

TITLE | Tea Time

Lorik Khodaverdian ILLUSTRATOR | LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA A G E | 31

I N S T A G R A M | @l ol ok hod W E B S I T E | h e l l o l o l o.net T O O L S | Sk e tch , A d ob e P hot oshop

DESCRIPTION // Tea Time is an ongoing series I started to illustrate that deals with the insecurities and doubts I had about myself as an artist. It can apply to anyone who is experiencing imposter syndrome or is having a hard time accepting themselves. In the age of social media, it has become easy to compare ourselves to others just by spending a few minutes with our phones. The feelings we are sometimes left with range from envy to not feeling good enough. The snake represents those feelings we have that keep us up at night. The goal we should strive for is to learn to accept ourselves and befriend our inner snakes. How would you describe your style? My illustration style varies from the medium I use. When painting with watercolours, I often tend to lean towards a more realistic approach. For digital pieces, however, the style can get more “cartoony” and simple, which I am enjoying a lot nowadays. Briefly outline your creative process. What are the major steps? I usually get my ideas when I’m out and about doing something entirely different than sitting at my desk. I carry a sketchbook with me almost always where I write down things I need to buy from the grocery store to concepts for a logo or an illustration. I’m forgetful, so I like to write thoughts down to come back to later. For digital work, I might scan in a page from my sketchbook and proceed with the line art which I find to be an essential part of my illustrations. I might have some ideas for colours that I test out in between. I’m very indecisive, so sometimes I create multiple versions of one piece with different colours and ask friends and family which version they prefer. I try not to complete an illustration in one sitting because my eyes get tired and lazy. When I come back to a piece a few hours or a day later, I can better critique my work and correct things that need to be fixed.

Who and/or what influences your work and why? Two people that have influenced me are Carl Sagan and Hayao Miyazaki. Both have had incredible careers that have inspired so many. I hope I can find my groove and pour my everything into what I love doing as they have. Music is a significant influence and also an excellent companion as are all the cartoons I have watched and all the video games I’ve played. My life experiences offer me different perspectives, which somehow end up influencing my work. In general, anything with a good story, whether it is music or a book, can inspire me. Are you a part of any creative groups that you would recommend everyone to join? When I was younger, I would always be on DeviantArt . I learned a lot by looking at different artist’s work. I also enjoy finding design inspiration on Behance. In your opinion, what is the funniest word in the English language and why? When I was learning English, I thought the word “knife” was funny. I had never come across a word with a silent “k” before, and it took all of my energy to resist pronouncing it with a “k”. What game or movie universe would you most like to live in and why? Hyrule from The Legend of Zelda! What stereotype do you completely live up to? I’m sure I live up to a stereotype, but I can’t think of any at the moment!

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Luke Griffiths GRAPHIC DESIGNER | PERTH, WA A G E | 22

I N S T A G R A M | @l u k e g r i f f i t hsd esi g ns T O O L S | A d o b e P h o to shop

DESCRIPTION // ‘The Evolving Sea Creatures’ is a series that I designed for Yagan Square Tower. The purpose for this design was to take people on a journey and show them the different ways sea creatures are portrayed through different Imagery. How would you describe your style? Photo bashing/ Photo Manipulation is the current style I have developed. I really enjoyed getting to learn this new technique and experiment with different Imagery. Briefly outline your creative process. What are the major steps? Before heading into the design stage, I experimented with my idea with one sea creature (the seahorse). The aim behind this was to figure out how to warp the flower into the sea creature, so it creates the illusion that the flower is growing out of it. I then went to research and gather different imagery to help me create the evolving sea creature design series. During this time I did a lot of experimenting and test printing to see what worked and didn’t. Who and/or what influences your work and why? The designer who influenced my work was Jenny Brown, who designed the ‘Flowery Sea Creatures Art Collages’. It was amazing to see how they explored their imagination and utilised a range of different imagery and colours.

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Are you a part of any creative groups that you would recommend everyone to join? I recently joined The Design Kids Perth group, It’s a great way to connect with other designers and be kept in the loop on design opportunities around Perth.

TITLE | The Evolving Sea Creatures

In your opinion, what is the funniest word in the English language and why? Bebop - everytime you hear the word you can’t help but start acting like a robot. What game or movie universe would you most like to live in and why? I would like to live in the Pokemon universe, as it would be a really cool experience getting to be a Pokemon trainer and explore the different regions. What stereotype do you completely live up to? I recently took the play buzz quiz, which tells you what kind of stereotype you are. Turns out I’m a nerd, it went on to say you are smart and like to be ahead of things. I must say it was a pretty accurate result, as I am the organised type and I like playing video games.

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Mei Yee Loh ILLUSTRATOR | PERTH, WA AGE | 24

I N S T A G R A M | @heymei yee B E H A N C E | M ei Y ee Loh W E B S I T E | mei yeel oh.c om T O O L S | A d ob e P hot oshop

DESCRIPTION // There are different pathways created by society that defines us. Most of these paths are etched into us from the moment we are born. To forge our own path, a path less travelled, is sometimes the scariest thing to do. But if it makes us who we are, if it makes us happy with the life we have been given, then shouldn’t we at least try? That is the concept of this illustration. To pick the path less travelled and choose our own fate undefined by the world we live in. To follow your heart. How would you describe your style? My style is ever growing and changing, but I’ve found that in almost every design and artwork I create, I would always want to give it a story and make it mean something. A narrative or message for people to find or follow. Lately, I have been gravitating towards digital illustrations and trying to improve and find my style there. Drawing badass powerful women in a “comic” like approach is where I am at. Briefly outline your creative process. What are the major steps? For illustrations, I start with research, gathering as many ideas and references as possible. I would then draft quick thumbnails on Adobe Photoshop and play around with composition, seeing how it would look with different elements. Once I have picked a suitable thumbnail, I would sketch it out with more detail. When I am happy with the sketch, I would move into lining the art. Colouring comes next, adding colours that match the feel of the art with shadows and highlights. Everything is trial and error for me, building things up or removing things as I go. I would also generally ask for feedback along the way to make sure I am on the right track. Who and/or what influences your work and why? My inspiration comes from the movies and shows that I watch. Anything with an amazing storyline and characters to love, inspires me to create. When it comes to illustrators, I really admire Jen Bartel (@heyjenbartel) and her work. She is an illustrator and comic artist who has worked with major clients like Marvel and DC. Jen is someone who I greatly inspire to become and has influenced my work the most, everything from technique and colour, to drawing powerful women. In the flux of figuring out my style, she has greatly shaped the way I create. In your opinion, what is the funniest word in the English language and why? Butty - it’s so funny to me because I found out that it doesn’t only mean a sandwich, it also means a friend. Like buddy, only it’s butty. I’ve been calling my close friends that ever since. What game or movie universe would you most like to live in and why? There’s so many for me! If I had to pick one though, it would definitely be the Wizarding World, aka the universe of Harry Potter. I mean, who wouldn’t want to have magical powers? I grew up watching the movies and then reading the books. I just love the characters, the stories and magic itself. Honestly, entering a world where magic exists makes everything so much more interesting. What stereotype do you completely live up to? Cheap Asian. No sale, no buy.

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TITLE | Path Less Travelled

TITLE | Exposure

Nathon Webber GRAPHIC DESIGNER | PERTH, WA A G E | 27

I N S T A G R A M | @n at honweb b er B E H A N C E | N a th o n W eb b er T O O L S | A d o be P hot oshop , A d ob e I l l ust rat or, A d ob e X D

DESCRIPTION // This creative piece supports an Honours research study focusing on disability representation in design and how it can challenge public perceptions. The creative solution was submitted alongside an exegesis to Curtin University to obtain a Bachelor of Arts (Honours). Nondisabled Australians are the primary target. The requirements of the design solution were to call attention of disability representation to nondisabled individuals and to incite thought provocation. Increasing exposure to disability as a social issue, disabled people and their stories; exposing a topic nondisabled don’t normally think about; and attracting attention from the media and businesses are the goals.

Free reign with no constraints is a bit daunting for me and I find it difficult to start a project without any initial limitations. From there, there is a lot of brainstorming and sketching before moving to the computer to refine the final solution.

Exposure as a concept and the need to provoke thought to gain an understanding of disability were the ultimate motivators to develop branding of a social organisation committed to increasing disability representation in the media, increasing society’s exposure to disabled people through community events and to expose businesses who are not actively involved in the conversation. A comprehensive awareness campaign was developed utilising vibrant, attention seeking posters/ billboards, social media and place activation attempting to saturate spaces with the chosen message. The brand was also designed to create a sense of discomfort with the viewer in relation to the visual elements used.

A couple of designers on Youtube - Chris Do & Ran Segall are also great influences on not so much my style but how I work on projects.

How would you describe your style? I find my style to be adaptable and restrained. I don’t tend to push things too far and I guess that’s a reflection of my personality. I like to create a balance of photography, typography and solid colour where-ever possible with a ‘less is more’ approach to all projects. Briefly outline your creative process. What are the major steps? Research is really important in my process, particularly with this project. It not informs and guides and I like to have that aspect in my work.

Who and/or what influences your work and why? My ex-tutors and peers from Curtin University influence me a lot. They’re very talented people and they all inspire me to improve on my skills. A special shout-out to my honours supervisors Dan McKeating & Dr Philip Ely for their guidance on this project.

Are you a part of any creative groups that you would recommend everyone to join? Perth Creative Network on Facebook is a pretty good one. It’s fairly active with creative professionals from Perth. In your opinion, what is the funniest word in the English language and why? Hullaballoo - it doesn’t really sound like it’s definition. More like a cute animal or bubbly personality than “a commotion or fuss”. What game or movie universe would you most like to live in and why? 100% the Marvel universe. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be a hero with special abilities especially Iron Man, he creates heroic solutions...and despite his flaws and misguided approach he’s pretty heroic. I’m clearly a huge fan so to live in that world would be pretty sweet. Plus those special effects would be reality and I do love special effects.

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Nayeli Lavanderos ILLUSTRATOR | LISBON, PORTUGAL AGE | 36

I N S T A G R A M | @n al a _ st ud i o W E B S I T E | n ay e l i l a va nd eros.c om B E H A N C E | Nayeli T O O L S | A d o b e P h o to shop , W ac om Ci nt i q

DESCRIPTION // Pera, my 15 year old dog that has been with me since she was 3 years old. I adopted her from a shelter in Mexico City, which had 1700 dogs. I previously had seen a picture of her online and was drawn to her cute, fluffy face and big smile. Little did I know that she would become my lifelong guardian and travel companion. Since then we have lived in Mexico City, New York and now Lisbon. I believe Pera is my spirit animal who has protected and guided me through these years. Her spirit is very much akin to that of a wolf. She is extremely loyal, fierce, protector, independent, wise and can naturally take the role of the alpha dog. This is a tribute to her magical features, her royal personality and her keen playfulness. An expression of gratitude to the unique and exceptional connection I have with this beautiful soul. How would you describe your style? My style has definitely evolved over the years, but in general I have been consistent with making it playful, whimsical, colourful, organic and textured. I usually try to include as many animals and elements from nature as possible. Briefly outline your creative process. What are the major steps? I have two different procedures depending on the format and medium I chose. If it’s digital my method is quite systematic: I first create a moodboard with online references and a colour palette to set the overall style and mood. I like to take my time and really allow myself to play and research during this phase. I then make some sketches or take pictures and start creating ideas for either styleframes or a specific digital illustration. I then take these into Adobe Photoshop, and with the use of my Cintiq I let the creative inspiration take its course. If I’m working on a pen illustration I search online for a specific image of an animal or skip this step if I decide to go abstract. I then print it out and trace the outline of the animal. The next step is crucial- finding some amazing music for inspiration and completely allowing whatever comes within to fill up the space with beautiful lines. I find this method to be much more organic, free flowing and spiritual creating a nice contrast to the confinements of the digital realm.

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Who and/or what influences your work and why? In general, my ideas come in the form of dreams, traveling, everyday moments, art, music, literature and films. Being born and raised mostly in Mexico has helped me develop an exquisite, lively and vast colour palette. But my main inspiration and passion comes from my experience of engaging and observing nature and animals. The natural world never ceases to astonish me. All living entities including each and every particle that exists within a forest has such harmonious and magical forms which inspire me constantly. Going on a hike and camping out under the stars fill my inner creativity. Are you a part of any creative groups that you would recommend everyone to join? I am part of the Punanimation Directory and Yes , Equal . Both platforms that involve women working within the animation industry. Both have been incredibly inspiring. In your opinion, what is the funniest word in the English language and why? I’m not sure this is necessarily categorised as funny but the use of the word “love” has always perplexed me. In Spanish we have 2 words: “te quiero” and “te amo” to define certain degrees of love which is completely eliminated from the English vocabulary. I feel this has caused it to be used in a very cautious and limited way, not allowing to fully embrace the full spectrum of emotion. What game or movie universe would you most like to live in and why? I would love to live within the world of successive dream-like realities of ‘Waking Life’. I find it fascinating how it delves into topics such as the nature of reality, dreams, consciousness, the meaning of life, lucid dreams, etc. All these philosophical issues have always been of great interest to me. I’d like to think that having the ability to connect into this deeper realm would allow me to experience the great mysteries of the universe and help me develop acute awareness and sensitivities that have been dormant and untapped. What stereotype do you completely live up to? Working within the creative field has definitely made me appreciate and develop a certain design sensibility and taste. Hence I have very little tolerance to spaces that lack a harmonious colour palette or a nice design aesthetic.

TITLE | Spirit Dog

TITLE | Kit Car Facelift

Naz Sumadi 3D DESIGNER | PERTH, WA A G E | 28

I N S T A G R A M | @naz st ud i of f i c ia l F A C E B O O K | @naz st ud i of f i c i a l T O O L S | A ut od esk F usi on3 6 0

DESCRIPTION // This 3D design is a rendition of the Lotus 7, an open top Sports Car. I was challenged to facelift (refresh) the exterior shape and style of the car body from what was currently on offer. After continuous meetings and feedback I went for a more modernised appearance and stance. This project pushed me to experiment with using new 3D software and this was my first time learning Fusion360, which I utilised to create these curvy organic forms. How would you describe your style? I try my best to evoke an emotional response in my designs because that is what will leave a lasting impression of the design. Briefly outline your creative process. What are the major steps? Reading, then rereading the brief until every word is fully understood. Creating a mood board is a critical initial stage because this will help structure the design direction. Following this comes the ideation/brainstorming and sketching phase which you should aim to get everything down onto paper, leave nothing in the mind. I then either scan or take a photo of my sketches and import them into the 3D modeling software as a reference image. I can also confirm that half my time is spent simply orbiting and panning around the model in awe. When you think the design is complete there is still room to refine, refine, refine. Who and/or what influences your work and why? My passion for cars is a blessing and a curse. As I am brainstorming ideas and sketching new designs my mind is frequently connecting how similar they look already to cars already existing on the market. I do admire how Designers are able to use nature and animals as a reference to their design inspirations and this is a technique I am striving to implement into my future work. Are you a part of any creative groups that you would recommend everyone to join? Still actively searching to discover more, but at the moment if you are a creative, check out The Design Kids Perth as well as the Design Institute of Australia WA Branch. Also learn more about Repair Labs Perth on Facebook - who are a local group that help not only repair but also find creative ways to salvage items you would otherwise throw away. In your opinion, what is the funniest word in the English language and why? Heaps - a word that I believe is regularly used in Australia. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heaps good ay! What game or movie universe would you most like to live in and why? The Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift. As a passionate car enthusiast the car scene in Japan would never get old. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the Mecca of drivers drifting and Nissan Cubes. What stereotype do you completely live up to? All the traits and characteristics that are present of the Leo Zodiac sign. Shout out to all the Leos out there.

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Sam Mead

GRAPHIC DESIGNER | PERTH, WA AGE | 21

DESCRIPTION // Tom Bones was a project for a gentlemen’s clothing boutique, situated in the beating heart of Perth City. Combining high end and urban grunge with a gothic twist, the brand houses all the latest and greatest brands that a millennial man needs to survive in the urban jungle of Perth City. Tom Bones is for the young men who like to look good in all activities, from casual to classy. It sets itself apart from competitors by incorporating the gothic element to the branding, and its charitable endeavours. The branding incorporates the iconic skull of ‘Tom’ himself, reflecting the “high-end meets Halloween” aesthetic, and the playful yet sophisticated nature of the brand. The main logo has a simple gothic typeface combined with the inclusion of dots under the “O’s” which flows into the brands stylistic palette and ties in with the Braille version of the logo: a reflection of the brands charitable and inclusive nature showing that everyone is important and should be allowed to dress well. How would you describe your style? I like to ironically label my style as “messy sexy”. It’s very eclectic and humorous, but visually appealing. It combines a modern minimalistic design approach with traditional themes and values as a way to create a solution that’s outside of the box. I come from a visual arts background, so perception is important. Whenever I’m designing something or creating an art piece I want it to communicate a feeling, or build a connection through the work. Briefly outline your creative process. What are the major steps? I try to draw inspiration from online sources, using Pinterest or scrolling through Instagram, as well as taking photos of things I see during my travels or something I’ve seen on TV. That way I have a variety of sources to pull from. Personally, I think a good design comes from capturing elements that inspire. Adapting them or taking it to the extreme to create something new and exciting that resonates with an audience. I tend to try a variety

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of outcomes ranging from digital to more traditional media to see what works best, as I think with technology people forget you can still pick up a brush or a pencil to make something great. Who and/or what influences your work and why? Contemporary, minimalist design is a big influence. I like to keep things modern and fresh. Looking at current trends and seeing if I can push their boundaries or combine it with more traditional methods. So what I’m making isn’t a carbon copy, but instead feels exciting and new, yet also a bit nostalgic. Music is another massive influence in my life and my work, I have to be in the right mood when I’m working, and pairing a project with a similar music style helps to make the magic happen. Part of why I became a designer was because I was obsessed with album covers and wanted to see my own work in a store or on Spotify. Are you a part of any creative groups that you would recommend everyone to join? The Design Kids are a great bunch of people that help out designers and artists get their foot in the door or improve their skills. AGDA (Australian Graphic Design Association) is also great at supporting graphic designers in Australia. In your opinion, what is the funniest word in the English language and why? I love the word “Discombobulate”. I feel it fits its meaning perfectly, as it is a very puzzling word that means to be confused. The English language at its finest! What game or movie universe would you most like to live in and why? This is one of those ice-breakers you get a lot and I still don’t have a straight answer for it. My brain is saying ‘Harry Potter’ because that’s the safe go-to, and who doesn’t want to be a wizard?? ‘Maybe Blade Runner’, because I love the neon aesthetic. It’s a tough one though. What stereotype do you completely live up to? Blondes really do have more fun.

TITLE | Tom Bones

Thao Van Vu ILLUSTRATOR | PERTH, WA A G E | 22

I N S T A G R A M | @vaan .vuu T O O L S | A d o b e I l l u str at or

DESCRIPTION // My illustration was based on the spirit of “go back to the root”, go back to my hometown: Vietnam. The work divides into three separate sections, with each one representing a different aspect of Vietnamese culture: Traditional Outfit, Traditional Food and Famous Architecture. When these three sections are combined to create a whole picture of Vietnam, Ao Dai (traditional outfit) is the foundation and accommodates the beauty of Vietnam like Phở and Cà phê s ữ a đá (Traditional and popular food) and buildings such as Ben Thanh market, One Pillar Pagoda. The background of the illustration is created using images of a rice terrace and rivers, which are two things that attract many foreigners when they come to visit this country. How would you describe your style? My illustration style can be described as flat. I create work at first glance, they look simple however once the viewer has a closer look, they realise that there are a lot of details and meaning laid within the design. Briefly outline your creative process. What are the major steps? The major steps for the design process is research and ideation. For this particular work, most of the time was spent researching the meaning and traditional culture of Vietnam. I then sketch out possible outcomes so that everything is both visually attractive and connected.

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Who and/or what influences your work and why? Most of the work that I’ve done is greatly influenced by where I was born - Vietnam. There are some artists and designers that are also a good influence toward my style, like Jamie Oliver Aspinall and Ana Duje.

TITLE | Beauty Viet

Are you a part of any creative groups that you would recommend everyone to join? The Design Kids and PADC (Perth Advertising and Design Club) - The Skull. In your opinion, what is the funniest word in the English language and why? Doozy - short but meaningful. Many people don’t know this word, it means to describe something great and unique. Whenever I see an excellent piece of artwork I would scream “Doozy” in my head. What game or movie universe would you most like to live in and why? Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I love playing this game because of the content and story. But furthermore, I am drawn to the visuals and beautiful effects in the game. What stereotype do you completely live up to? I am that type of designer who makes purchase decisions based on the typeface that’s used within that product.

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CREDITS

Editor Bento Box Design Studio

Studio Director Leeanne Nguyen leeanne@bentoboxstudio.com.au

Creative Director Tristan Ta tristan@bentoboxstudio.com.au

Art Director Monica Widjajana monica@bentoboxstudio.com.au

Marketing Assistant Josef Correia Herbert josef@bentoboxstudio.com.au

Design By Bento Box Design Studio

Featured Designer Melannie Lai

Contributors Ainsley Grant - Sorry... Caitlin Kirk - Edgar has a picnic Courtney Thane - Old Mate Ella Seymour - Mirrored Leopards Helena Ravenne Langer - Fruits Jane Suteerawanit - Miru the Blind Elf Jessica Hicks - The Girls Jessie Yong - Dum Booch Karolina Lutkiewicz - Jetlag Lorik Khodaverdian - Tea Time Luke Griffiths - The Evolving Sea Creatures Mei Yee Loh - Path Less Travelled Nathon Webber - Exposure Nayeli Lavanderos - See Through Jellyfish Naz Sumadi - Kit Car Facelift Sam Mead - Tom Bones Thao Van Vu - Beauty Viet

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