It’s a wet, wet Monday… Maybe this Confessional will add a little sunshine to your morning!
This week we’re featuring the talented illustrator, designer, art director, Deanne Cheuk. She started putting her ideas into motion at the early age of 19 and hasn’t stopped to put the pen down. Her style and use of watercolors create the most feminine and intricate works of art. Between her work on magazine covers, the publishing of her own books, and solo art exhibitions worldwide, Deanne Cheuk is one of the most highly regarded artists of our time.
Read on to find out her words of advice to young artists…
Don’t forget to visit her online: www.deannecheuk.com
Name and Age, please:
Deanne Cheuk / 32
Marital status:
Shacked up
Where are you originally from?
Perth, Australia
How long have you lived in New York?
7 Years
What neighborhood in NY do you live in?
Lower East Side
What are your favorite memories of New York since living here?
Every day!
Give us a brief rundown of your past work experience.
My first major job was as art director of a magazine in Perth called REVelation magazine when I was 19. Three years later I started my own magazine called Mu, three years later I moved to New York and started Neomu and worked for David Carson, not long after that I art directed Tokion Magazine for a few years. All the while I’ve freelanced and continue to do so as a designer and illustrator.
We love your art/paintings. When did you realize your passion for art?
Thank you! I have always been passionate about art but that was never properly realized until I had my first solo show in Philadelphia in 2004. Actually maybe it still hasnt been fully realized - I am still trying to get to where I want to be with that.
What was it like growing up in such an isolated city like Perth, Australia?
My parents took my family traveling alot so I never felt that isolated and I was always fully aware at how much more there was to see in the world. At the same time, growing up in Perth for me was great because it nurtured my do-it-yourself aesthetic - my friends and I made our own clothes, and we eventually made our own magazines because you couldnt buy what we wanted and liked.
How did you make the transition from Perth to New York?
I bought a 4-week return ticket but never properly returned. Everything just fell into place for me.
You were the Art Director for Tokion for a while, how has this experience influenced you and how do you think your work has influenced the magazine?
I had a lot of creative freedom on it so that reinforced my views on the type of projects I like to take on, in terms of how my work has influenced the magazine now 2 years on from when I quit, well, they’re still using watercolor/painted type and people keep asking me why. Other than that, it’s a completely different magazine now to the last issue that I did.
Where do you seek inspiration?
In everything and anything, books, magazines, tv, movies, people, art, museums, friends, the street… the usual.
You often spend hours painting, drawing or sculpting, how much of your work involves computer technology?
Alot. I do everything I can on the computer except my paintings obviously. I think that has been something that has been hard to get my head around with painting, I can do things so much faster on a computer.
In the last few years, graphic designers seem to play more of an important role than ever in the media, art, music and fashion world. What do you think about this?
I think it has become important to some degree - but not majorly important. It is great that designers that are doing original and amazing work are getting recognized, but there is still a lot of bad design out there.
Tell us about your magazine NeoMu which states ”No words, no advertising, just inspirational images, photographs, and graphics” and is the tiniest magazine on earth whose proceeds go to charity. Where and when did you get the idea to publish this magazine and what are your goals for its future?
I started Neomu in 2000, the idea started as a zine and it came about basically because I still had a lot of contacts from Mu magazine and I was frustrated with how expensive design books were and I felt like alot of those books only had a few pages that were inspiring, I wanted to make something that was inspiring on every page and I wanted to make it free – it all grew from there.
The size came about because I thought it would be cheaper to make it super small – of course it isn’t, and as I wanted to inspire everyone with it, the original plan was to donate all the proceeds to a charity for the Blind because I wanted to inspire those that could and couldnt see it. After a few issues though I left it up to the stores to choose charities that they related to to donate the proceeds. I send the books to stores for free and they sell the copies for $1 each. So I’ve published and paid for 8 issues so far, I plan to do 2 more before I end it but the last two issues keep getting postponed because of scheduling problems. I will do them soon though.
I heard you like to work without music and in complete silence to possibly avoid doing something that has been in the past. This is a very compelling idea, can you tell us more?
It’s really just a concentration thing and also I really love my work and I love doing it and making what I make – it seems more enjoyable to be completely immersed in it in quiet. With my art now though, I am exploring the concept of sound with it in terms of considering what sounds different colors might make and how those sounds work together, it’s just experiments at the moment though and of course I do it in the quiet!
Your clothing line Liness is beautiful and coherent with your work, it seems like a natural addition to your activities. Who do you work with on this line and what’s the meaning behind “Owliness” and “Boyliness”, the names of your collections?
Actually we ended the line last year because we were all too busy to properly commit to it. I was doing the line with a fashion designer Yasmin Majidi and another designer/illustrator, Rilla Alexander. The name of the brand was a made up word, it was the suffix to each season’s obsessions, so the first collection was about an obsession with Owls and then Boys, and then we also made collections called Sleepliness and Earthliness.
The title and illustrations of your book “Mushroom Girls Virus” is very intriguing. Any anecdotes about how you came to create this book?
There is a style of illustrations that I started to make which were pencil drawings with watercolor of girls and mushrooms, it all came about as a natural progression from illustrations I was making on the computer, the style evolved from just constantly making new work. So I had loads of work I had done in that style and some of it was for obscure commercial commissions and it just seemed sad that not many people were going to see it, so I decided to publish that style of work in a book and be done with it. I haven’t drawn mushrooms since then, though I’m still drawing girls! That style has evolved again since the book though, so in a way I am done with what was in the book.
When you were studying in Perth where you were told you would learn “how to design toothpaste boxes”, did you ever imagine that you would be published by some of the most widely read fashion magazines (Vogue, Nylon, Flaunt, Glamour etc)? What do you think of this evolution, how did things lead from one thing to another?
That’s right – my art teacher told me that graphic designers designed toothpaste boxes and I thought that sounded great – how naiive! I’ve honestly just always worked on things that I’ve liked, and if I cant find what I want then I’ll make it myself – and everything has come from that, I’ve never cared about pursuing the next cool job or the next cool person or thing, I never chase after things like that and maybe that is a quality that resonates with the people I work with? I dont know, maybe I’ve been lucky? I tell young designers that ask me for advice that they just need to make really original and beautiful work and it will get noticed, someone will notice it if it’s good.
What would be your advice for someone who wants to start a career in art and design?
Create, dont imitate. And go for it!
Who are your personal art and fashion icons?
Art: Jose Parla, Ro Starr, Rhys Lee, Fashion: Sue Stemp
Got a long term plan?
I need to get into my art studio more, that’s all.
Do you have much free time? And what do you do when you’re not working?
I have no free time and I am not joking, when I am not working I am sleeping.
How would you describe your personal style?
‘Buy It Now’ on ebay.
What’s your favorite accessory you own?
A wooden necklace that I got from a flea market in Hong Kong for $1
Where do you like to shop?
Clothes: Balenciaga, Marni, Uniqlo, Ebay
Housewares: Ikea
Beauty: Laura Mercier
Do you go out much? Got any favorite bars, lounges, clubs?
Hardly ever, I work at night so I’m totally boring. Plus there are not many events that are babysitter worthy.
Name your top 3 fave restaurants in NY and what your favorite dish(es) is there.
Sobaya - Tenzaru Soba, Black Sesame Icecream
Zucco - Steak Frites, Creme Brulee
BLT Prime - New York Strip Steak, no room for dessert. The crowd is awful but the meat is amazing and they have a huge meat locker that is like a horror movie, I love freaking out out-of-towners with it!
What music have you been listening to lately?
My daughter must dance to The Strokes every single day so unfortunately that is all we listen to.
Whats your most recent discovery/exploration in New York?
Pong on Stanton street
Do you plan on living in NY forever?
I love it here, but anything could happen, I’ll just go with it.
If you smoke, tell us your favorite rolling paper. If you drink, tell us your cocktail/drink of choice.
Don’t smoke or drink anymore.
Name one New York woman that you would nominate to our Hail Mary! list.
Sue Stemp
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