Meet Paul Twa – a graphic designer and illustrator based in Toronto. Born and raised in Edmonton, Paul graduated from the University of Alberta’s Bachelor of Design program, Business/Marketing route.
Paul is passionate about using visual communication to tell stories and inspire action. He has worked on projects for such clients as the Alberta Council for Global Cooperation, the City of Edmonton, Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation, and the University of Alberta.
In his spare time, Paul develops illustrations for people’s homes and wardrobes, including sweaters, throw pillows, and other colourful products. He has sold his goods at Royal Bison, General Concern, and pop-up shops at Kingsway Mall and West Edmonton Mall.
we were lucky to sit down with Paul this month for a special interview for our readers.
Please introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a graphic designer, illustrator, and lettering artist. I recently moved from Edmonton to Toronto at the start of 2022 and am happily discovering the city and all the creative spaces within it!
Tell us about your education.
I graduated with a Bachelor of Design from the University of Alberta in Edmonton in 2018. It was there I learned about the two essential components of design, type and image. As I continued my education the custom crafting of these elements became increasingly important to me and I fell in love with illustration and hand-lettering.
What first got you interested in becoming an artist? Was it a childhood dream or did the realisation come at a later point in time?
I come from a family of artists, my grandmother, and her sisters were all artists who worked in drawing, soapstone carving, and screen-printing textile designs. My three siblings have also all pursued careers involving art and design. I’m thankful for this exposure to art early on and it always felt like a natural fit for me too. As a kid, I found illustration through comic books and realized that was the type of work that could completely capture my attention.
Tell me about your journey into the creative industries?
Upon graduating from design school I worked at a creative agency in Edmonton for three years. It was there I really cut my teeth working with clients in many different industries using design to develop brand identities, advertising campaigns, and communication materials and experiences.
Since moving to Toronto I am currently working as a contract and freelance designer and illustrator.
Can you tell us a little about your creative process do you use exclusively digital tools, or do you use a mixture of older and newer techniques?
It’s important for me to use a mix of tools depending on what the project calls for. I’ll sketch out ideas in my sketchbook or on my iPad. I use Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, and Procreate for most of my design and illustration work. I have also used analog collage, paper cutouts, and graphite pencils to achieve the particular look I was after for a project.
How would you best describe your art in your own way?
My work has a keen interest in history and finding ways to be inspired by the past while creating work that resonates with contemporary life. I am a lover of maximalism and intricate ornamentation combined with careful visual research and intention.
How do you tend to get your briefs?
Referrals from my network and outreach. I post frequently about my practice including both client and personal projects on Instagram (@paultwa), Tiktok (@paultwa), and my website (paultwa.com).
People interested in collaborating with me can email me using the contact page on my website.
What are the biggest influences on the style and the topics of your art pieces?
History! Looking at different art and design movements through the centuries and finding ways to explore those styles but with my own twist and messaging that relates to the present moment.
Charles Rennie Mackintosh and El Lissitzky are two designers from history who I greatly admire and would count as big influences.
Tell us about your workspace…
When I moved across the country with three suitcases it was important to pack one full of my design book collection. An essential part of my workspace is to be surrounded by these inspiring books and references. I frequently check out relevant material from Toronto’s Public Library for new projects I’m working on.
What is your special interest with lettering?
This interest in lettering really developed in 2019 when I was booked to attend a conference with my sister specifically about hand lettering. Realizing I had the interest to learn more but wasn’t practiced, I spent the months leading up to the trip exploring different styles and techniques. This interest was obviously furthered by attending the conference and the inspiring community of designers and artists I met there. I love how lettering uses my love of design and illustration together. It allows me to communicate a written message that is cohesive with whatever I’m illustrating.
Can you tell us about a current or recent project you’ve worked on that you would like to share with us?
I recently completed an illustrated alphabet that documents art movements and artists from across the centuries in chronological order. So A is drawn like a cave painting from 14,000 BC, F is drawn like a Roman statue from 200 AD, Q is drawn like a Van Gogh impressionist painting, and so on. It was a massive undertaking but a really enjoyed working on it as it perfectly encapsulates my interests.
What was the most challenging and the most rewarding project you worked on?
In 2020 I began an annual project where I illustrate important events from the year in chronological order around a rectangular calendar. This project was inspired by my grandmother who illustrated the visual pathway of her marriage with important family and news events that she updated every anniversary. I began my version after the pandemic since so many people were saying “it feels like we were living through history like never before” and I wanted to document all the important political, environmental, and pop-cultural events we collectively experienced that year. Each new year I illustrate the calendar in a different style from art history, in this way linking the recent past with the history books. I send the calendar to family and friends in my Christmas card at the end of the year.
What message would you like your viewers to take away from your artwork?
I believe in design and illustration’s ability to create messaging which really resonates with a viewer. But I also feel its role can be as simple as delighting an audience. If a viewer sees my work and is interested in the details, intricacy, and craft, and learns something new from the content being presented, I will feel like I have done my job.
Do you have any traditions or rituals that help you when you get to work?
This year I have become an avid audiobook listener (memoirs mostly) and gum chewer while working.
What would your dream project be?
I am a big fan of the Olympics so doing a project for an Olympic Games would be a dream.
Working on the team that develops the emblem, pictograms, mascots, and other design work that goes into the Games would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Do you think art is a mirror of the artist?
Yes, I think in certain ways it is. As someone who would label myself as both a designer and artist sometimes my individual voice isn’t as present in the work I produce in service of a client’s voice.
That is why I believe it’s important to have personal projects which allow me to express my own thoughts and ideas when I feel that urge.
Your favorite quote?
“There is hope in the honest error, none in the icy perfections of the mere stylist” – John D. Sedding (1893).
What does the rest of 2022 look like for you, and what can we look forward to seeing from you in the future?
I am looking forward to exploring the city more and attending the many outdoor art fairs this summer. I am excited by the opportunities to create work for varied clients and, of course, have already started thinking ahead to what my 2022 ‘Year in Review’ will look like!
Your message for our readers and other budding artists.
There’s room for your individual voice as an artist, and while it may take a while to uncover the clarity of that voice (I’m still very much on that journey) it is worth it to feel like you are making work that is uniquely you.
Your message for us at TOPS (TorontoPages) magazine.
Thanks for your questions and the warm welcome to the city! You can see more from me @paultwa on Instagram and paultwa.com
