We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Abigail Goh. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Abigail below.

Hi Abigail, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

As I look through my portfolio to pick my most meaningful project, I realise they are each meaningful in different ways. Some projects are meaningful in personal ways (A an artwork exploring my relationship with my grandma), some because I experienced self growth during the process (When I led the design on massive projects for huge clients like McDonalds/Google), or some where I discovered a new voice when I explored a new style (personal work).

While they all carry meaning to me, I prefer to highlight projects that are perhaps meaningful to others too. That brings me to the topic of the human experience in my work. I have made illustrations on difficult topics such as Abortion, Miscarriage, Mental health, Housing Insecurity and Islamophobia– For many of these topics, I have not experienced them firsthand and had to rely on sensitively imagining the emotions and translating that into an image.

The one that I think I was closest to experiencing firsthand is probably Cracked– an editorial illustration for a medical magazine Curiosus. This article examines why women have a higher risk of developing depression and anxiety throughout their lives–from puberty, pregnancy, postpartum and perimenopause. I drew a mother, who is crumbling from her many fractures, comforting a daughter, whose first cracks are forming. As a daughter who has an aging mother, this image is loaded with love and sacrifice, and I think many people were able to relate to that.

Abigail, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I have always had a rich imagination and a passion for drawing/doodling, which meant going to Art school and jumping into freelancing was a very natural process. My personal style has always been a duality of cheerful, happy ideas and thoughtful, serious concepts. I make sure to convey it all with bold and simple elements, as I approach illustration from a design perspective, rather than just purely fine art.

I think my strengths as an illustrator are my ideas, and my ability to form an image to communicate with immediacy.

Many times, I am hired for my Ideas. I try to capture a clever metaphor or an unexpected twist– An extra long Dachshund to explain a new WhatsApp feature that supports longer videos, or a little rubber ducky floating on it’s side to allude to a miscarriage.

The tone for these ideas are so important, whether it needs to be playful and inviting, or sensitive and emotional. Finding the best image that combines multiple aspects within the viewers brain (the cheery cuteness of a dog being perfect for a messaging app, and the quiet sadness of a bath-toy capturing the sadness of innocence/loss), can encourage a clear and concise read.

I feel most satisfied and proud of my work when I hit the nail on the head and come up with something effective and of course interesting and beautiful to look at!

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I think when society develops a taste for good design and appreciation for Art, clients will be more open to create briefs that are less predictable and that leaves more room for designers to get creative!

This can mean just approaching everything with a more discerning eye/analytical mind, and diversifying the content you consume. A more inspired audience will eventually create a demand for elevated content, which will push artists to their full potential.

When the general taste of the public is elevated, I believe we will make informed decisions towards supporting artists and their quest for innovation, and forming their own opinions on topics like AI generated art etc.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I think there are so many great tutorials online that can help you master softwares/programs and I hope I will continue to push myself to take advantage of that.

I think developing a mindset that you will constantly need to evolve yourself as an artist is the greatest skill to develop, over learning hard-skills. (Although it often does not hurt to learn a new software and skill too, and make yourself a more desirable hire!)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://abigoh.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abigohart
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abigail-goh-11a18439/
• Other: https://www.behance.net/AbigailGoh