…With Love & Fanks
In April 2024, I had an exhibition of my work in An Lanntair, Stornoway. It was a collection of my greatest hits in the 5 years of working in my studio 'LOOM Graphics' on the Island.
Exhibition icon
'FANK' [fahnk]
noun
A concrete and gate structure in villages across the Western Isles of Scotland where sheep are gathered for tagging and shearing. Often used as a social hub, it’s a real-world social media platform for Sheep Farmers of the Islands.
"Are you bringing Sheep to the Fank this Saturday? I have a lot of hot gossip I need to get off my chest."
EXHIBITION INTRO
I didn’t want anyone to know I was living and working on a rock in the Atlantic. As a freelance designer, I thought it woudl somehow be restrictive in gaining new clients.
However, after a year of living on the Isle of Lewis, it became clear that this unique location was an advantage. My client list slowly had more of an island flavour to it, and I was fizzing with ideas for T-shirt graphics.
All these paths lead me to launch ‘LOOM Graphics’ on 1st April 2019. I was going to shout about being on an island. Put a flag down. Move the design map of Scotland a little further North and a bit further West.
5 years later, here we are. Taking a moment to process what has happened with 100s of design projects completed and over 80 products in the shop.
This exhibition is a huge ‘thank you’ to the people of the Island for all their support over those 5 crazy years.
With love and fanks,
Pearse
To read more about the work, you can download the full exhibition Guide at the end of the post ▼
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2019 Part of the Island Numbers illustration used to launch the studio
2019 Peat & Diesel’s ‘Uptown Fank’ Cover
2019 Island Numbers illustrations used to launch the studio
2019 First T-Shirt sold in the studio shop
2019 First Chessmen T-Shirt sold in the studio shop
2020 Peat & Diesel’s ‘Light My Byre’ Cover
2020 Chok Shop Branding
2020 Island Letters for Type 26
2020 Cover image for Peat & Diesel’s ‘Live at the Barrowlands’ Album
2020 Black Bay Studio Crest
2020 Williams Stonecraft Logo
2020 Croft 22 Branding Icons
2020 Habour Kitchen Logo
2022 Alan Turing Card for the LGBTQI+ World Cup
2022 Audre Lorde Card for the LGBTQI+ World Cup
2022 The Letter ‘B’ for 36 Days of Type
2021 Àr n-Aite Branding
2021 Outer Hebrides Type Map
2023 Cover artwork for DÀIMH’s ‘Sula’
2023 Open Studios Hebrides 2023
2023 ‘FAOI11LEACH’ entry for Fedrigioni’s 365
2022 Brutalist Bus Stop Art Prinit Sold in teh Studio Shop
2023 Hero image for the Black Isle Belter Festival 2024
2023 Logo for Broadbay House
LAUNCH NIGHT
Big thanks to Ralph Tonge for taking some photos of the launch night.
Thanks also to the team at An Lanntair for hosting the event and supporting my creative career over the years that I’ve been working on the Island.