CREATIVE U TAPS ARTIST JOE PEREZ AS KEYNOTE Guest

Art

THE ILLUSTRIOUS MIND BEHIND BEYONCÉ AND KANYE WEST’S ALBUM COVERS

If there was a Creative Directors’ Hall of Fame, Joe Perez would be immediately inaugurated. The Rhode Island-born and bred artist possesses an impressive resume, having worked with the likes of Ye (formerly known as Kanye West), Beyoncé, Virgil Abloh, Janelle Monáe, Pusha T and Travis Scott, just to name a few. If you haven’t heard of Perez, you’ve definitely seen his work as his portfolio includes the instantly recognizable Long. Live. ASAP artwork, alongside the cheeky and straightforward Yeezus cover. Grounded in graphic design principles, Perez’s creative ethos is simultaneously impactful and emotive, while maintaining a crisp and clean aesthetic.

While creative geniuses have a reputation for being secretive, Joe Perez will be sharing his expertise and knowledge as the creative director will participate in a keynote conversation at the Creative U conference this October with creators Angel Dahfay and Kolton Harris. The two-day conference provides local artists with professional resources, offering unique opportunities to sharpen their creative skills, as well as build a sense of community.

Continue scrolling for a sneak peek into Perez’s mind as the acclaimed creative director sits down with Cafeteria.

Your work spans music, fashion and fine art, blending multiple creative disciplines. How do you stay innovative in such a fast-paced and evolving industry?

It’s easy to get lost in your own silo as a designer. A lot of us lock ourselves away with a computer and just grind it out solving whatever assignment or design problem that’s put in front of us, so it can be easy to find yourself in a routine. It’s important to continuously push yourself outside of your comfort zone. Collaborating or even just talking with other artists and understanding their processes has helped me evolve through my time both in school and out in the industry.

Staying up-to-date with culture also plays a key role in staying innovative. I’m always searching for who’s influencing industries and what are their inspirations and reference points. It’s important to think about the new products that impact creative industries and culture at large.  What are the icons doing and who are the newcomers shaking up their respective industries? Every morning, our NYC team at WORKS has a morning call where we go through current events that affect the world, culture and design. This helps us connect the dots and see where the needle is trending.

As someone who grew up in New England, Can you describe your experience bringing your creative practice back home and How has the region influenced your work over the years?

I felt at peace moving my practice back to Rhode Island. Los Angeles was an amazing city and I had a ton of positive experiences there, but it never felt quite like home and it wasn’t conducive for my creative soul. I’ve always been a bit of a history buff and New England has a lot of it, especially a creative history, that has always inspired me. I can drive 15 minutes from where I live to the Athenæum Library in Providence. I can walk up its front steps and think to myself that at one point, Edgar Allen Poe and H.P. Lovecraft climbed these same steps.

You’ve worked with global artists and brands, but what role do you think local creative communities, like those in Providence, New Haven or Hartford play in shaping the broader cultural landscape?

Everything and everyone starts somewhere. At some point, these global artists and brands were a part of their local communities and scenes. Our local creative communities foster exciting new talent and bold ideas. These are the safe spaces for the risk-takers and the incubators for “what’s next.” Global brands maintain a presence in these individual communities as much as they speak to the broader masses because it allows them to have a dialogue. Local creative communities inform brands on what’s next and those potential industry-altering moments shape our culture.

There’s often debate about the value of formal art education versus hands-on experience. What’s your perspective on this and how did education play a role in shaping your career?

Everyone has to personally ask themselves this hard question: “Is a formal art education right for me?” What I’ve seen shape careers, regardless of whatever path you choose, is the effort.  The individuals who get up and put in the daily 200% where they are constantly pushing themselves to absorb, practice and refine their craft are the individuals who succeed.  You also have to put in that same percent of effort into networking so you can connect to the opportunities when you’re ready.

I attended Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA and on day one, I focused on surrounding myself with people who I thought had the talent, the discipline and the drive to be successful. Fast forward five years later after graduation, one of those friends was working with Kanye West and brought me onto his team as a webmaster and ghost blogger. I got my foot in the door, but I had to continue putting in 200% to take that opportunity and build it into a career, which materialized after eight years and creating 300,000 plus art files later. I made a conscious decision on how I built my peer group, I met the right person and I got lucky.  I firmly believe that a bit of luck is involved. That luck factor can be timing, being in the right place or it can be creating a moment that gets you seen. The variable list goes on.  Ultimately, I think the luck factor is what you make it.

What can attendees at Creative U 2024 expect from your keynote And how do you hope to inspire the next generation of creatives?

They can expect to hear about my experiences working in the music industry as well as working with people like Kanye, Virgil and Jerry Lorenzo. They’ll also hear the lessons I’ve learned through experimentation and failure as well as how to embrace failure as the first step to any creative solution. At some point. I’d like to teach and give back, but I still have 10 years before I’m at that point.

If this conversation is any indication of the keynote conversation, attendees are sure to be engaged and enlightened by the inimitable artist’s unique perspective and experiences. Creative U will take place on October 11 to October 12.

Register for Creative U here.

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