Anne-Marie Pappas was born in Lausanne and grew up in Switzerland and Greece.
She studied Graphic Design at the ECAL (University of Arts, Lausanne). She completed her diploma in 2009, and then worked in various advertising agencies in Zurich, and later in Hamburg as an art director. She works in her studio in Hamburg as an illustrator and graphic designer for editorial, advertising and the music industry. She is represented by the illustration agency kombinatrotweiss based in Frankfurt.
“I’m always searching for new design ideas, inspired by magazines, books, photos, movies, Instagram and the hustle and bustle of the streets. My Wacom tablet and Edding pens are my most important work tools. My sketches are scribbled on paper or directly on the computer. Later I work in vectors.”
Tell us about your creative story. How did you become the artist you are now?
In fact, pen and paper became my best friends at an early point in my life already. I loved to imagine situations or characters by giving them life on paper. And I never stopped drawing – whether at school, during my graphic design studies in Lausanne (CH), nor later at work in advertising and today as freelance illustrator in Zürich and Hamburg. Maybe being grown up without television did help.
What would be your message to young girls around the globe?
Trust in yourself and surround with people who love you as you are. Don’t stop dreaming.
Tell us more about your connection with music and your favorite artwork that you design for some music artist.
To me music means memories, inspiration and, especially when it comes to work, freedom. I create vinyl and online covers for several music artists for years now and I really love the abstract side of music. It is always a great challenge to kind of translate the sound into a visual, that generates curiosity and speaks from first glance. Actually, it’s the music packaging. With the increasing number of artists in today’s well-connected world, this is more important than ever. When I was a teenager, I was dependent on people with a large CD collection and record stores to get to know something new. That was quite charming, but at least I don’t wan’t to miss Spotify anymore.
What keeps you sane in this insane world?
Most important to me is to organize my own daily routine, still with the ability to improvise from day to day. If I face a problem, I read biographies and interviews of inspiring personalities to learn from their experience. Of course, being surrounded by people that love you the way you are makes life easier.
Do you think women are being treated differently to men in your field? If yes is the answer please explain why do you think this is happening.
I have the impression that all women have experienced gender-based discrimination at least once in their life – independently from specific working fields. And also men suffer from prejudices in a certain way. I believe, the gender issue is based on misunderstandings about our deep human nature. But it is not irreversible. As lots of problems can be changed by education and communication, I think we can look optimistically ahead to coming generations, being more open and less submissive
If you want to follow her work
INSTAGRAM
WEBSITE
No Comments