Olivia Twist's illustrations have a good time the complexity of on a regular basis tales
London-based illustrator Olivia Twist had an early introduction to the world of visual creativity. Her grandpa showed her how to draw at the age of four or five and, more importantly, how the practice can be used as a tool for self-expression. When she started school, her love for drawing was already recognized. “I was the student who had to work on A3 paper when others got A4 sheets,” she recalls.
She chose art classes at every level of her education, but it wasn't until her high school graduation when her teacher opened her eyes to the "possibilities of illustration" that she knew this was the path she wanted to take as a career. In the middle of her BA at the London College of Communication, she began to flesh out her style: “Before that, I was a bit of a visual chameleon,” she says. "I think I've found my visual language, tested parts, and seen what feels right."
Nowadays this style often relies on the interplay between a unique, vibrant tone and thick black markings that add detail and texture to their illustrations as if they were etched into wood or linoleum. "I've always been interested in woodblock prints, felt stripes, and muscle fibers – so my style is a bit of a mishmash of it all," says Twist, whose eye-catching work has led to her winning assignments from ASOS and WePresent.
This aesthetic is applied to the everyday, familiar scenes that prevail throughout their work. It reflects Twist's tendency to constantly observe and digest what is going on in the world around her. Her natural curiosity led her to realize that "everyone has their own story that is rich and complicated", which she portrays in snapshots of people's daily rituals, backed by buses and takeaway menus.
"Everyday life plays a big role in my work because I am really in love with everyday life," she explains. “I think little stories still deserve to be documented and celebrated. I like to see uncles in the internet café, grandparents in the market, teenagers at the bus stop and the like. "
Her interest in people of all ages is reflected in how she hopes her work will bring her audience together. “I want to stimulate intergenerational discussion by exploring esoteric issues, the things we all experience but don't necessarily talk about. Sometimes my work serves as a means of conversation, ”she says. "I also think it's about where you put your work. For me, it has to be on the street or in the places where people have often inspired me. In my experience, private views are not really a space between the generations . "
Twist's work appeared in a poster campaign across London last year and in murals that featured in a residency and workshop series with young people at the Battersea youth club, Carneys Community.
Their color palettes are often reserved and are usually decided towards the end of each drawing – though they are nonetheless carefully examined. “Color is very important to me. It enhances the mood in my work or makes the image disappear from the side. I want the focus to be on the line work so that I can use color in an easy way, ”she says.
There is something special and meaning behind each of her color choices: “I choose colors that remind me of things, like the floor in the elevator in my family's block or the color of a rice dish my father makes. It's a certain shade of red and getting it right is important. It enables your work to communicate with an audience that is all too often overlooked by large art institutions. "
For Twist, who is also a lecturer at UCA Epsom on the BA course in graphic design, arts and educational institutions need to do more to be representative and engaging with local communities and take a more inclusive approach to art – from Mentoring and building relationships with local youth groups on revitalized reading lists.
“I want to see more diversity in the teaching staff at universities and visit practitioners with non-traditional backgrounds. I don't necessarily have to have an MA or even a BA, I just have to make movements, ”she says. It's also important for creatives to build longevity with "live projects that build relationships with local community groups that don't last for just six weeks."
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