The graphic designer and illustrator Hannah Shone describes her creativity as an affinity to art and visual learning that she has possessed since childhood. She describes her path to self-fulfilment via design and illustration as paved by steps that started with taking art in high school. After a brief detour to study journalism she came to the realisation that she wanted to express herself rather, in a visual language and so Hannah returned to her initial course in life that always tended towards creativity in a more visual sense.
She turns towards visual platforms such as Instagram, Behance and Pinterest as departure points for creation. “I think it’s nice because my feed at this stage is curated to the things that I like to see whether its fashion or art or photography. I think all of that kind of melds in my own mind and it gets the cogs going so to speak.”
Research she explains, is a vital part of her process oftentimes, “the insights of whatever I am looking into inform the conceptual foundation of whatever I make.” Further her expression is one of sitting with ideas in her mind and bringing them together within her headspace before they meet the paper phase.
“I like to see beautiful things in the world and I like knowing that I can maybe participate in making beautiful things.” A world of whimsy, quirk and playfulness that intersect with youthfulness or a sophisticated air on the other hand. A fantastical realm.
Recent collaborative undertakings include Hannah’s collaboration with DIPSTREET. She expresses that it was a moment of pride and gratitude for her to see her designs printed on the label’s apparel.
“My practice is about a lot of different things, I can’t necessarily pinpoint the what but I do know that I like to make people smile with the work that I make and I like to make myself smile with the stuff that I make. I’m getting to a point now that the older that I get and the more that I make, and the better I get at making, I’m learning to be a lot less self-critical. And just making things that maybe spark a question or spark some kind of intrigue is kind of what I am about.”
Hannah Shone is one of the spotlighted artists for the Miller Genuine Draft Art and Design series.
