Interview with designer Kiel Tillman
Gold Coast designer Kiel Tillman launches his first solo show this month in Melbourne. By day, Kiel is the Creative Director of Potato Press where he gets to push the boundaries with 3D signage and laser cutting machines.
In his spare time, he loves to design, illustrate and experiment with artistic projects. His artwork is a blend of hand drawn and digital mediums that are adapted for laser etching onto wood. Kiel transforms wood blocks into incredible tactile pieces of art with his layered and textured designs.
In his interview below, Kiel talks about his love for the ocean and how living by the water inspires him. He’s always keen to be a part of group art shows to push himself further with his artwork.
It’s been a long time coming then for his own solo show. Graphic Nature will showcase a collection of Kiel’s latest wood laser cut artworks. See a preview video here.
Visit Kiel’s website or follow him on Instagram for more behind-the-scenes photos. Check out Potato Press if you’re in the market for laser cutting or 3D signage.
Left: Laser cut layered typography sign for Potato Press.
Right: Design and Manufacture the Awards for the very first Australian Surf Retailers Awards with the Potato Press team.
Kiel’s laser wood cut up close.
How have you got to where you are today? Describe a little background on why and how you got started…
I grew up in a small coastal town on the mid north coast of New South Wales. I was always creative through school and I knew that I wanted to make a career out of being artistic.
So as soon as I left school I packed my life into the back of my crappy ’87 Barina and moved to Burleigh Heads. This is where I studied Graphic Design at Queensland Institute of Graphic Arts.
My first year out I got a job at Fast Proof Press where I learnt a lot about the print industry and the value of spell check! I was there for a little over a year when my friend from college, who was working at Billabong, said I should go for a junior position there. So I did. I got the job and worked my way up to become a senior menswear designer.
After 8 years there, I realised I wanted to do something more diverse and get my hands a bit dirtier, so I left to go work with an old friend at his small printing company, Potato Press. After 4 years working with Rod, we have built Potato Press up to be much more than a printing company. It is somewhere that allows me to express and develop my design skills and concepts for both clients and my own personal projects.
In a few words, describe yourself
Designer, creative, artist, husband, Father, 3-legged dog owner.
What are you spending your time on at the moment?
Well apart from my full time job at Potato Press, I have my first solo art show coming up at Raglan Street Gallery in Melbourne. So I am focussing on finishing a lot of new pieces to show down there.
Do you have a ritual for getting into the creative mindset? Or a creative process?
My process usually always starts with a pencil and a notepad. It can be as simple as some very rough scribbling to something more detailed. From there I will scan it onto my computer to do my finished artwork. I sometimes use my Wacom for my illustrations. I predominately use Adobe Illustrator for my illustrations. I like the nice clean lines you get from vector artwork, especially with Laser Etching.
What or who inspires you?
I love all things creative: design, painting, typography, photography, industrial design and furniture design.
Some artists that inspire me are James Jean, Jeremy Fish, Mike Giant, Anthony Lister, Beastman, Kill Pixie, Alphonse Mucha, Brett Whitely. These artists have either directly or indirectly inspired my artwork in some way.
Music is a huge inspiration for me. I couldn’t work without music. I love all different genres and whatever I am listening to at the time really shapes what I end up creating. I did a collection of typography stickers for the “Kiss Cut Exhibition” which was inspired by the lyrics of Buck 65.
I have always lived close to the ocean and it is a huge inspiration to me.
And of course my Wife, my Family, our three-legged dog Misha and my friends. Having these people in my life keeps makes me appreciate the different aspects and angles of the world around me.
“High Seas” Collection by Kiel Tillman.
What are you most proud of?
I think my “High Seas” Collection has been one of the best moments in my personal art career. It’s not that it was a huge success, but I think it was more a relief and a sense of achievement to get those ideas out of my head and to make them into stunning reality. I had a great reaction to the little clip I put together documenting the process too. This clip really illustrates how music and my environment inspires me.
As for my professional career, I designed the Australian Surf Retailers Awards Trophy which we produced at Potato Press. This has since become quite a prominent branding for the awards, which are held each year. As proud as I am of all of this… I still think the best is yet to come.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be an Architect. I still really love architecture, maybe one day I’ll try my hand at it.
