Welcome to our 8th edition of our meet the Contrado artists series.
We are constantly amazed at the incredible talent that we meet every day. The artists who make up our designer platform are growing in numbers, and fill our marketplace with rich diversity and artistic visions. Since launching the Contrado Creatives earlier in the year, our handpicked selection of artists have continued to bring colour, creativity and originality to Contrado.
Meet the Contrado artists
Our vision was always to provide a unique place for artists and creatives to be able to express themselves and sell their art in new and exciting ways. Our marketplace does just that. Artists are able to upload their very own art onto a range of unique and handmade products (all made right here at Contrado HQ), and sell them to a worldwide audience. This opportunity allows creatives to make a living from doing what they love – making art.
The best part about our marketplace, in our opinion, is the incredible range of artistic styles available. When you meet the Contrado artists, you will meet creatives from all different backgrounds, who practise all different styles of art. From graphic designers and illustrators to fine artists and painters and everything in between. Whatever artistic taste you have, you will find a store to satisfy it.
The Contrado Creatives
Moonmilk Designs
The designer behind Moonmilk is Jessica Snyder, who started the brand fairly recently to merge her love of painting, textiles, and festival clothing all in one. Jessica has been working as a textile artist for feature films for the last 5 years, while practising her love of illustration on the side. The unique designs of the Moonmilk collection perfectly capture her talent and artistic vision.
Moonmilk doesn’t focus on just one style, but several, and this is what makes the collection so exciting and captivating. As Jessica says; “wearing and being surrounded by the Moonmilk designs is like living in a kaleidoscope or travelling through the galaxy.” Colour is not something Jessica shies away from, and the collections almost seem to be alive with their vibrancy.
Jessica creates her designs with hand painted tiles. Using 3-5 different colours and tilting the tiles so the colours swirl and mix together, creating an almost intergalactic finish. Jessica then takes photos of the tiles and experiment with them digitally. The final result is a 60’s inspired psychedelic aesthetic, that will appeal to anyone who loves colour.
Julia Lillard
Julia Lillard has been making art all of her life, and her style has adapted and become even braver and more adventurous over the years. A stunning and modern interpretation of surrealism, Julia’s creations are undeniably unique and are perfect for anyone who enjoys standing out from the crowd.
This exciting artist creates surrealist collages, which have a strong vintage vibe and can, at times, make you feel slightly uneasy. They are deep and suggestive and Julia has chosen to print them on a wide range of our handmade products, ranging from accessories to homeware.
Finding her inspiration in everything from nature to colour to other artistic movements, this is a collection that will inspire you to embrace your inner fashion rebel. Not for the faint hearted, but definitely one that will get people talking.
JUURI Art
Japanese and American artist Juuri is the creative mastermind behind JUURI Art. Inspired by Japan, florals, and valour, Juuri has been drawing and creating art for most of her life. Born in Tokyo and currently working from the USA, her art and murals are inspired by Japanese historical culture. With an emphasis on fine art, Juuri originally studied graphic design at university, and her work is a stunning fusion of traditional and digital methods.
Calling her style “Japanese inspired mixed media pop surrealism,” this collection is filled with colour, feeling and stunning details. Painting what she truly loves and embracing symbolism in her designs, Juuri is not afraid to express thematic elements in her work, even when they can be somewhat disturbing.
Coming from a creative family, including her manga artist mother, Juuri’s creations come from something profound that she has read or encountered. This is usually linked with an intense emotion or struggle in her life. This is where the imagery of the warrior comes in. Sketching first in pencil and then adding watercolour, coloured pencils and, at times, gold leaf.
Karolina Jankauskaite
Karolina Jankauskaite is the powerful artist behind P.I.G, which stands for Politically Interested Girls. An art and fashion brand with a difference, this vibrant brand pushes boundaries and is alive with humour and political messages. Inspired by Pop art and nature, all of Karolina’s work is hand drawn and undeniably provocative.
Karolina has had a love of fashion since childhood, and her fierce and independent nature has helped her mould her brand into the powerful and colourful results that we see today. Fashion has always been her passion, and her experience in the industry ranges from studying for a Bachelor’s degree as well as working as a stylist all over the world. While studying at the State Academy of Art and Design, she gained excellent knowledge and experience with painting, drawing, composition and more. These skills combined with her love of fashion gave life to P.I.G.
Karolina’s creations have true meaning behind their vibrant colours; “Contemporary life has lack of slowness. I dream about making people a bit slower and see reality filled with signs, this is why I am so near to naive art. Visualizations of beauty in people’s minds is a path to this idea. That is how I see the main goal in art and in myself.”
Andrea Haase
After starting her career in interior design, artist Andrea Haase decided that she wanted to do something even more creative. So, she went back to her first love; art. Although Andrea admits to not conforming to one particular style, this is what makes her work so varied, intriguing and exciting. She plays with different styles and techniques, and even different materials, to create collections that are full of life and joy.
As you look through Andrea’s unique collections, you can’t help but feel uplifted. Her art has a positive and inspirational aesthetic, with colours and imagery that play to this relaxed and joyous style. Andrea starts her process with something she has seen that inspires her; a colour, an image, something in nature etc. She takes this inspiration and creates a painting or a drawing, which is then scanned into her computer. Bit by bit she draws, manipulates and creates until she has her final result. Simple patterns are mixed with detailed illustrations or typography. Digital techniques are combined with the traditional paintbrush and acrylics to create mixed media masterpieces.
Lidwine Titli
Parisian born artist Lidwine Titli creates unique, handmade collages in a distinct Surrealist style. Her handcrafted creations help her to express her innermost thoughts, and create an abstract world that will ignite your imagination.
Using psychedelic symbolism, Lidwine gives a representation of human glamour and morphs it into a suggestive world of desire. Here, the line between “graceful and freakish is blurred.” Starting her artistic process by collecting pages and images from magazines, Lidwine finds herself putting them together in an unconscious method, almost as a reflection of her thoughts. Stating her work is like processing emotions; it can start and finish at completely different times – days or even weeks.
Finding inspiration in the great Surrealists of our time, Salvador Dali, Esher, David Lachapelle and more, these mind-bending creations will fill your home and wardrobe with interest, curiosity and creativity.
ANoelleJay
Jamaican born Alicia is an independent fine artist and designer currently living in New York. Her stunning paintings are full of life and energy and celebrate both nature and the environment. Alicia started ANoelleJay in 2014 as a way to show her work to the world. Creating acrylic paintings and watercolours, her designs show the archetypes of the artist’s Caribbean roots.
She was encouraged to create from a very young age, and this has stayed with Alicia into her adulthood; pouring her passion into her studies, and experimenting with all forms of art from crochet to painting. Alicia’s work focuses on bright colours, bold lines and nature focused pieces, and her process of creating often evolves to something entirely different to what she set out to make.
Finding inspiration in nature and the environment, Alicia loves to work with new and different techniques and colours, pushing her boundaries and finishing with something exciting and joyful. Her Contrado collection of homeware and fashion will bring vibrancy and life into your world.
Like what you see? Fancy meeting even more Contrado artists? Our marketplace is brimming with incredible talent and exciting discoveries. Better yet, it is growing every week. Find something to suit your style by clicking the button below, and support new artistic talent. If you fancy joining our designer platform, then you can get in touch and send us some examples of your work via the link below. Make sure check back on the blog again soon to meet even more Contrado artists.
