Designer Desire: John Hanna

Montage of John Hanna 'Country Fair' magazine cover illustrations

We mentioned John Hanna in a previous post a few years ago, but haven’t actually featured him as an artist in his own right before.

A native of Australia, John Hanna (1919-1992) was an illustrator and cartoonist; his professional career began with him drawing cartoons for newspapers in Sydney. We were introduced to his work through the cover artwork that he created for Country Fair Journal during the 1940s.

Apparently, he also worked under the names Jack Hanna, J. Hanna, Wiz, J. C. Hanna and John Charles Hanna. His cartoons featured annually in Australia: Week-end Book between 1943 and 1946, where he signed his work as ‘Wiz’.

Some of his Country Fair designs have recently been reproduced by designer-maker, Jenny Duff gracing coasters and table mats. Original copies of Country Fair are available to buy on Amazon and eBay.

In a comment on the Asbury & Asbury website, Hanna’s son, helpfully shared some insight into his father’s work history:

My father started as a cartoonist, mainly with the Argus in Melbourne, until he emigrated to England in 1947. He got a job in the art department of S. H. Benson, the first advertising agency to be registered as a limited liability company, famous for it’s Guinness advertising and for employing Dorothy Sayers in the “literary” department. About 1950 he went freelance and mainly designed posters and other ad material for a variety of brands such as Walls ice cream, Sugar Puffs and Peak Frean biscuits. His Walls ice cream “deckchair” poster is visible on Walls ice cream UK 1950 Prints All Posters.co.UK. He was a member of the Society of Industrial Artists, now renamed the Society of Chartered Designers, and some of his work is featured in their 1951 publication Designers in Britain 3. Worried about the increasing use of photography on advertising he accepted the offer of a job as art director of an ad agency in Sydney in 1961. After a few years he went freelance again which enabled to extend his work to book illustrations etc. One of these books was about folk dancing written by his daughter Nicky Lo Bianco. He lived in Avalon Beach, near Sydney, until he died in 1992.

Additional image credits:
Fulltable | Muybridge’s Horse

Designer Desire: Kirsten Ulve

Mosaic of Kirsten Ulve illustrations | H is for Home

Kirsten Ulve is a New York-based artist and designer. Her work initially caught my eye because it reminded me so much of one of my faves – Lefor Openo. I think it’s something in the eyes.

Amongst her clients are prestigious companies such as The New Yorker, Vogue Japan, Glamour Germany, Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, Volvo, The Guardian, The Boston Globe, The New York Observer, Los Angeles Magazine and The Hollywood Reporter.

Check out more of her wonderful work on her portfolio pages on Behance and The i Spot. A few of her prints and silk scarves are available to buy in her shop.

Portrait of Kirsten Ulve

All images © Kirsten Ulve

Designer Desire: Malika Favre

Mosaic of illustrations by Malika Favre | H is for Home

Malika Favre is a French-born, London-dwelling illustrator and animator. We’ve featured one of her works here in the past – but she’s so good, she deserves further investigation.

Her use of bright colour, sensuous shapes and geometric, Op Art pattern is wonderfully eye-catching and enticing. Her designs are Pop Art inspired and are incredibly well suited to magazine covers and wall art. She has a prestigious client list which includes The New Yorker, BAFTA and Vogue.

She says she is influenced by the female form – something that’s very evident in her impressive body of work. Check out her shop where you can get limited-edition screen prints giclée print and luxury playing cards.

Her Vimeo stream offers further insight into her product & process. Also, have a look below at the short interview she gave – you’ll need to watch it at least twice to fully read the sub-titles, gorge on all her wonderful designs and glimpse her lovely home!

Portrait of Malika Favre | © Tom Robinson© Tom Robinson