Graphic designer, illustrator and artist Lisa Voigts demonstrates a skillful fusion of style and sensibilities found in different worlds. Based in the coastal town of Swakopmund, Lisa later established a studio in Weissenburg, Germany. Since its conception in 2011, Graphic Arts Studio continually explores this nuanced interplay between Germany and Namibia.
This melding together of two opposites is cleverly represented in the studio`s logo, designed by Lisa herself: a deer and zebra meet nose to nose; an unlikely alliance where the mystery of a forest-wandering deer is juxtaposed with a zebra`s cheeky curiosity.
“I always aim to deliver dynamic, distinct, and innovative solutions in consideration of different countries, people and cultures. Creating a design that is good, is a permanent challenge. It is more like an attitude and it is
ever-evolving. It is an ongoing process to improve along the way. There is no recipe. With every client or project you have to start from scratch.”
This combination of resilience and resourcefulness has allowed Lisa to produce work consistently over little more than a decade, utilizing and enhancing a rich, technically diverse craft: ranging from commercial editorial design to playful, contemporary expressionist art.
Lisa acknowledges the challenges of working in the arts industry and offers these kernels of advice to graphic designers and illustrators alike just starting out: “Listen and ask the right questions. Read a lot, stay active and go to bed early. Only a fresh brain can work out fresh ideas.”
Differing in tone and technique, both wildlife and beloved pets frequently feature as reimagined subject matter in her work. Beauty found in the natural world, in particular our connection and responsibility towards animals, continues as a theme in Lisa`s most recent exhibition, titled ‘CARE’ - “In CARE is the word ARE. We ARE here all together and we want to BE. We are so clever to investigate the universe for living alternatives, while our planet changes to a very unpleasant situation. We humans are the only higher organism that destroys their own habitat. Animals don’t.”
The CARE exhibition, currently on view at The Project Room, also showcases Lisa`s versatility as an interdisciplinary artist, employing mixed media on canvas; fabric on wooden frame; prints on mirrors and signage material. Using acrylic and aquarelle paint, pastels and even spray cans, Lisa`s new project brings to life a question of reckoning and conscience: Do we really care about the fate of animals, or are we indifferent as ecosystems continue to be threatened by our own actions?
Confronting our collective environmental crisis and perplexing tendency to
self-destruct our planet, Lisa hopes this exhibition stirs viewers to pay attention, listen and act as a community.
“Art is a beautiful way to express messages without any words. I want to touch people on an emotional level. Emotions lead to actions. Always. If someone takes a piece home they will be reminded of the word ‘CARE’. Let’s be in this together.”
View our catalogue here.
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