Meet Finn Kidd 🦑

Love our NEW Liminal Fantasy collection?

Then you'll have spotted super illustrator Finn Kidd's illustrations sprinkled throughout our site and social media. Liminal Fantasy was brought to life in his inimitable style: detailing everything from inquisitive ocelots to enchanted lilies. Phew, that's no ordinary fairytale! Join us as we sit down to talk podcasts, self-publishing and ... rug tufting. (Yep, you read that right!) 

CAN YOU SUM UP WHAT YOU DO IN FIVE WORDS?

“Lively, bold, colourful image making”

or...

“Think about colour and stories.”

No, wait…

“Illustrate narrative through colour and line.”

Maybe…?

“Explore our environment through pens…?”

Haha, something like one of those... That’s a really hard thing to answer.

FROM PODCASTS TO EPIC PLAYLISTS, WHAT DO YOU LISTEN TO FOR INSPIRATION?

OK, so lots of podcasts... Most importantly though is - Radiolab. Radiolab has been a lifeline for me in the last year, I have listened continuously and even cited it in essays and in my dissertation for my BA. It covers the most intriguing and enlightening tales of science and human behaviour, and through the funniest and enjoyable presentations of storytelling. ( I suggest you look up, the Gonads series, Border Trilogy, Smarty Plants, From Tree To Shining Tree, Baby Blue Blood Drive and CRISPR ). And then you get great stuff from the likes of This American Life, 99% Invisible, Ted Radio Hour, Criminal, Historium, and Guardian Science Weekly to name a few. Aside from podcasts, ( I generally have to be listening to something most of the time ) at the moment I’m really enjoying listening to Simon and Garfunkel again, Cat Power ( mainly What Would The Community Think, Moon Pix, and You Are Free ), Elliott Smith, The Beach Boys ( California Saga (Full) ), Ariel Pink ( Dedicated to Bobby Jameson ), Fun Boy Three, The Velvet Underground, Josef K… this could go on forever :/ 

 

WE LOVE YOUR PORTFOLIO OF GIG POSTERS, WHO’S YOUR FAVOURITE BAND TO CATCH LIVE?

Ariel Pink’s shows last month were fantastic, really great live performances. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have always been incredible when I’ve seen them. The Crystal Stilts played a brilliant show at SXSW in 2009, that has always stuck with me. Also, everyone should go and watch Great Silkie if they get the chance.

IF YOU COULD COLLABORATE WITH ANYONE (EVER!),  WHO WOULD IT BE?

Daniel Clowes or Charles Darwin. They also apparently have opposite initials.

FAVOURITE MEDIA TO WORK WITH?

Pens, always. On a nice paper. I like the immediacy you get with pens, what you draw is what you draw. You have complete control over your line or mark and yet none at all as it’s permanent. I’m also really enjoying rug tufting nowadays, and am planning to move my practice in that direction. ( secret plans... ).

IF YOU WERE TO MAKE YOUR OWN ZINE, WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT?

OK so I have actually made many zines over the years, some celebrating underground music ( well most in some respect ), some comics, some arts and culture, I did one a year ago where I drew Swamp Thing ( The Alan Moore character ) reciting facts about global warming in a simple comic book style, which I printed in two colours on a Risograph. A kind of “global warming warning leaflet”. Zines are very important as they enable people to have a truly free platform for creative output. Without self-publishing ( in both zines and blogs etc ) there would be no good journalism or breeding ground for new ideas, both theoretically and aesthetically. The rising use of Riso printers over the past 10 or so years has also helped revive the zine as a piece of serious design and a home for illustrators to explore ideas. If I was to make one this month I think I would illustrate an explanation of CRISPR, that would be fun. Like a “ CRISPR for dummies”.

WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU ‘GREW UP’?

A superhero ( something like Batman but I would be able to fly ), an explorer ( like Indiana Jones ), an astronaut ( not a realistic one though, something more like Dan Dare, although I think that’s more of just a general space person ), a detective, one of the Blues Brothers and an illustrator. So almost there.

WHICH TATTY DEVINE PIECE IS YOUR FAVOURITE?

The Giant Squid Necklace. 1. Because it’s a squid, simple. 2. Because the transparent glistening colour effect of the material is great and feels like it really reflects the magic of sea life, in that gelatinous, bio fluorescent jellyfish way. But the whole collection is great.

WHAT DO YOU PERSONALLY REGARD AS YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT?

Completing my BA has been a big one for me, a lovely thing to tick off and one that I wasn’t sure I would ever actually do for various reasons.

Thanks, Finn. Take a look at the full story here: 📖 and explore Finn's portfolio here!

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