We were lucky to catch up with Alexis Williams recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alexis, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

The most meaningful, and also unexpected, project I worked on, was a spontaneous one that came together in only a few days. I was working on putting together my BFA show, which for my program consisted of filling the space with projects we’ve worked on over our time in school rather than an especially curated body of work meant for the show. There was a large wall in the front of my exhibition space that I wanted to make use of, so I went to the drawing board looking for a creative way to make something new with what I already had.

I recalled I had a few extra folded metal pendant lamps I had designed in my junior year, but had yet to paint, and started working on thinking of an installation I could make with them. It also happened that I had always had a particular fascination with Ford blue tractor paint (which for those wondering, is a lovely deep blue green that lives in between teal, and a stormy blue) and I had a can of Ford tractor paint I had been waiting for the perfect time to use. With that, the idea of “An Iowan Landscape” came to mind.

“An Iowan Landscape” is an installation made up of 3 of my folded metal “B Minor” lamps, and 1 folded metal lamp entitled “Quilt”. This tells the story of when I went to elementary school in Cedar Falls, Iowa and students would take a field trip to the Grout Museum every day for a week in 4th Grade to learn more about our local history. A large part of that lesson included learning about the history of John Deere and the Waterloo Boy Tractor.

John Deere is an important part of the local economy where I grew up, and was the company two of my Grandparents worked at for a combined total of 65 years. As a way to connect with my Grandparents, and as a nod to the significance of agriculture in the state I was raised in, each lamp is painted to represent a prevalent tractor brand that you may see when taking a road trip through Iowa (John Deere, Ford, Caterpillar, and Kubota).

As my Grandfather was in a health battle while I was working on this project, and passed away not long after it was completed, it was extremely cathartic for me to create a project that honored him, and where I grew up.

Alexis, 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 am a graphic designer, product and furniture designer, and photographer based in the Midwest of the United States. The Memphis Movement and Pop Art aesthetics have always been a source of inspiration for me, because of their playful and clever use of color, materials, graphic art style, and the deeper meaning that drives them.

From a form perspective however, I am interested in exploring how curved and linear forms can be combined to create dynamic design. Another aspect of my designs I emphasize is the creative use of color and transparency to generate emotional connections to spaces and objects. My work is primarily made from wood, metal, stained glass, acrylic, and PLA and I often use CNC and 3D printing technologies.

One of the main things I want people to take away from my work is a feeling of playfulness and curiosity. My own curiosity to explore new things is why I use so many materials and processes, and the importance of this in my design process is something I want to come across in the finished product.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I have come to realize that the most important resource for someone’s creative success is building a network of people and other creatives that share your mission. In an era where people have less and less community around them, networking with people and sharing your work in a non-digital space is harder and harder, but the importance of networking remains as important as ever. I wish I knew earlier in my journey the importance of working with and learning from other people in your community because you are able to gain new perspectives while being uplifted by a group of people who you want to see succeed, and doing the same for those around you in return. Another benefit of having people around you that you share a vision with is that they are able to provide critiques to your work from a place of understanding what you want the final version of that project to say, so you are able to improve upon your work.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist for me, is having a vision that you are able to bring into reality and share with others. Figuring out new problems and challenges to create for yourself and solve, especially when it comes to creating functional three-dimensional works is such a mentally stimulating and fun way that I am grateful to be able to spend my time doing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alwdesign-portfolio.com/
• Instagram: @design_alw