July – Introducing Kezia Gabriella!

July has been jam packed with exciting news as we welcome a new artist to the Grand Matter family – Kezia Gabriella – as well as the very latest projects including MLB typography from Toby Triumph , Hollie Fuller 's new illustrations for the National Portrait Gallery, a collaboration between Hermès and Charlotte Mei , a fab new illustration by Lena Yokoyama for the NYT and Kris Andrew Small 's latest collaboration with Adidas Sydney.

First up, we're super pleased to welcome character illustrator Kezia Gabriella to the Grand Matter roster! Kezia brings people's stories to life with dynamic compositions and texture, exploring the joys and mundanities of daily living with a sense of fun and spirit.

To introduce her way of working in more detail, we spoke with Kezia about her journey as an artist to date, creating chaotic harmony and what she likes to draw just for fun, + more!

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Read our full interview with Kezia here and check our more of her fantastic work here.

Toby Triumph X Adobe & MLB

In the run up to?‘Opening Day’ of the Major League Baseball Season, illustrator Toby was the first of three artists commissioned by?MLB and Adobe?to create a?special edition digital sticker pack fans could use on their socials?throughout the season.

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See more from Toby?here

Hollie Fuller X National Portrait Gallery

After undergoing a massive three year refurbishment and rebrand, the National Portrait Gallery has finally reopened its doors! As part of the rebrand, Hollie was commissioned to illustrate their new Family Trail – a free activity booklet aimed at young visitors to the gallery, to teach them about the gallery and its artworks in a fun and engaging way.

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See more from the project?here

Charlotte Mei X Hermès

The French luxury design house invited illustrator Charlotte Mei along to a special client breakfast to create some live portraits of their guests. Inspired by their summer event's themes of topiary horse heads and summer flowers, Charlotte entwined paper collage into her pastel drawings so that each guest could take away a personalised portrait. Their summer event takes place at their Bond Street store and is on until the 21st August with various different workshops and artists creating live artwork over the next few weeks!

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See more from Charlotte?here

Lena Yokoyama X New York Times

Lena was asked to illustrate an article for NYT's Insider feature, all?on the theme of Translation.?The text alludes to series of recent articles in The NYT?Book Review?that shine the spotlight on the craft of the translator, an art that has traditionally been much underrated.

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See more of Lena's?work?here

Kris Andrew Small X Adidas Sydney

Artist, designer, and frequent adidas collaborator?Kris was invited by the sportswear brand to create?a vivid technicolour installation for their new Sydney store – inspired by the nature and terrain of the city instead of icons and landmarks.?The collaboration?included an incredible large scale floor mural?and a 3D neon trefoil logo amongst other exciting creations.

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Check out more of Kris' work?here

How to guide: Getting the balance right

No two projects are the same, and as with most creative practices there can be a lot to consider when commissioning illustration. In this latest guide, we look at our top 5 tips for successfully briefing a project, from what to think about to useful approaches and mindsets, allowing the creative magic happen no matter what the project entails!

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Read our guide to briefing here

View work by all our artists here