Emek & Erykah

Erykah Badu is one of my favorite artists of all time. I listen to her music whenever I have a persistent creative block. It is no wonder that the art she uses for her albums, concerts and promotional material is just as inspirational. So for your design inspiration I wanted to make sure to include Israeli born designer,  Emek , the graphic designer that completed the art and packaging for Erykah’s album, New Amerykah.

In Emek’s posters, psychedelic ’60s imagery collides with ’90s post-industrial iconography. To this collision of the organic vs. the mechanical worlds he adds humor, social commentary and fantasy. Even in the smallest details there are messages. All of Emek’s artwork is originally hand-drawn and then hand- silkscreened for each actual concert or event, usually in limited editions of around 300.

“I appreciate the flexibility this medium allows me because the bands generally give me total creative freedom (as long as I include the show info). I am allowed to dip into the recesses of my own imagination and see what spills out onto the page. I am my own art director so I can experiment with different concepts and styles to keep things fresh. Today’s disposable culture paves the way for tomorrow’s collectible nostalgia… I’m just trying to keep it interesting.”