INTERVIEW
Introducing An Chen
We’re excited to welcome illustrator An Chen to the Grand Matter family!
Combining dynamic angular lines and colour-blocked shapes with a grainy print-like texture, An’s bold and colourful illustrations have a warm, nostalgic feel with bags of energy. She illustrates for a wide variety of outputs, her style lending itself to conceptual editorial pieces as well as more abstract still life drawings, distilling objects from the natural world into simple geometric compositions.
To introduce her way of working we spoke with An about her journey from graphic design into illustration, taking inspiration from vintage matchbox designs from the 1950s - 60s as well as her creative process.
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I love to turn organic objects into simple geometric, angular shapes. It’s like a challenge I give to myself, to see how can I interpret things in my visual language
How would you describe your work in one sentence?
My work is a mixture of clean angular shapes with bright colours plus a little touch of a grainy texture to create a dynamic composition.
What do you like to draw?
I love to turn organic & life objects into simple geometric, angular shapes. That’s the essence of my artwork and the reason I create illustrations. It’s like a challenge I give to myself, to see how can I interpret things in my visual language. I will also improvise every time, trying to discover unique imagery with every drawing.
Where do you find inspiration?
In the first 1-2 years of my illustration career, my style was hugely inspired by 1950-60’s matchbox designs, especially those from the Soho Lipnik factory. I like the simplicity, clean compositions and warm grainy texture from the printing technique of this period.
I first encountered this illustration style in my master's degree course. The lecturer introduced Russian avant-garde painter Vladimir Lebedev and other artists in the same period. I was really drawn to the way they combined geometric, abstract shapes with traditional techniques. Also, although their characters are very abstract you can still feel their energy and personality of them. From there, I further researched the Czech Republic matchboxes design and also British modernist linocut printing artworks. The British modernist linocut artists used a lot of arch shapes to create a powerful vibration movement, I love the power and dynamic movement of the compositions. I find this very exciting, so it is a recurring element that I will use when drawing characters and backgrounds now.
This year my main inspirations are from plants. Not only from real plants but also from traditional Asian Ink wash paintings, which often depict plants in a very odd and funny way. It hugely inspires me.
An's still life illustrations are inspired by objects from nature
How are your illustrations created, what's your process?
My creative process contains two parts, I use Adobe Illustrator to create the main illustration and then Photoshop to apply texture. For the texture part, I use monoprint to reproduce the old printing texture they have and use the Photoshop mask effect to apply it in my drawing.
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Because of my graphic design background, vector illustration has been my favourite drawing method. I incorporate typography techniques into my illustrations. If you look carefully you can find I use bracket serif to shape my object
An's creative process from sketch to final illustration
You worked as a graphic designer for a number of years, do you think this has shaped the way you approach your illustration work?
100%, 4 years of graphic design training plus 4 years of work experience in the industry shaped the way I think and work. I believe that’s why I like to work on editorial and conceptual illustrations, because summarizing content into simple visual symbols is how I am used to processing each project. Also, because of my graphic design background, vector illustration has been my favourite drawing method. I incorporate typography techniques into my illustrations. If you look carefully you can find I use bracket serif to shape my object.
Also, the reason I decided to become an illustrator was because of a graphic design project I worked on for a client. The task was to turn a set of buildings and objects into pictographs for an exhibition map. That was the first time I used simple, minimalistic geometric shapes to create vector illustrations. When I was creating those images, I had the state of “Flow” in my mind for the first time. I felt I was playing with shapes like children making building blocks.
Editorial piece about working from home and the hurdles that can pose for employees of colour
Are you working on any personal illustration projects at the moment?
Recently I’ve been creating textile pattern illustrations in my spare time. I am planning to print these on cloth to make a series of small merchandise like scarfs or tote bags.
Do you have a dream client or type of project you would like to work on?
Commercial illustrations like pattern illustration, packaging and window display…etc, are something I really want to try. Also, my master’s degree was in children's books so I also hope I can have a chance to work for children’s books.
Left: A piece created in
solidarity with Ukraine
Right: Packaging illustrations for Sproutl
About An Chen
An Chen combines colour blocked geometric shapes and clean lines with a nostalgic print-like texture. Her energetic and angular compositions lend themselves to a variety outputs, from packaging and large scale installations to editorial pieces and zines.
London
Somerset House
West Wing M19, Strand
London, WC2R 1LA
+44(0)2033 322 582
hello@grandmatter.com
New York
Ground Floor, Suite 200
Spaces, Meatpacking District
413 West 14th St
New York, 10014
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