Impact Makers - Augmented reality filters and artist stereotypes with Ezra Quek, Junior Art Director
At Lion & Lion, giving our people opportunities to grow is deeply embedded in the way we work. Our new Impact Makers series focuses on how our Lions make an impact in their professional and personal lives through stories that share their growth and experiences.
Our Junior Art Director Ezra Quek has been drawing since he was a child, so it may not come as a surprise that he chose to pursue a career in art. He’s still drawing today in his free time, and even experimenting with new media like augmented reality.
Can you share more about your role here at Lion & Lion?
I am currently a Junior Art Director for the Singapore Solutions Pod. My day-to-day responsibilities include working closely with the Creative Director, and the Creative and Social teams to brainstorm and produce content. I am heavily involved in overseeing the art direction of visual content and guiding the designers on their day-to-day tasks to ensure the content execution runs smoothly. Ironically, my off hours are spent quite similarly to my work hours ‒ filled with sketching, illustrations, and digging into more creative content.
What are the most common stereotypes you have encountered about Art Directors and what do you think of them?
We all wear black from head to toe, usually some eyewear, with probably the best shoes on the block. Those are the most common stereotypes that I have come across about Art Directors, but we are actually a very colourful bunch (we do wear black sometimes). However I think the most dangerous stereotype is that we are ‘gifted with talent’. Just like any other job in any industry, it is about years of work, blood, sweat, tears, sleepless nights, wondering if we were right to make that logo bigger, etc. We just put more practice into creating then say, math.
What are your favourite subjects to draw and why?
I recently became fond of drawing side portraits in a caricature or illustrative manner. In a way, I like to capture the nuances and specific features of a person or subject. This subject is also probably due to the illustrative style that I have been trying to work on. My illustration style is inspired by old school art, japanese tattoo art, and sportswear design. The common traits are bold solid outlines and solid colours.
What attracted you to experiment with alternate reality (AR) filters?
Funnily enough, I was kind of thrown into self learning AR for my degree’s final year project. Back then, it was using Unity and AR coding to create an interactive medium to help tell stories. What attracted me was the fact that I could inject something modern into even traditional media (eg. a book or a label) to bring about an unexpected story or additional information in a more fun and interactive way. A good example of this is the wine company 19 Crimes, that used AR tech to bring life to their labels. In addition, AR filters removed the need for additional apps to activate the AR functionalities, allowing a wider audience to experience the small joys of AR.
What would your advice be to those who have just graduated from art school?
I think one important thing for fresh grads to remember is character or attitude. It’s something that no one can teach you. We may be able to inspire or mould a person, but not plant or start the spark. Be open to changes, to learning, to failures and success, keep pushing on, and continue to have the passion to create, no matter how far you go in your career. In short, hold on to what motivated you to begin your journey in art school.
Impact Makers is a series that goes behind the scenes of our Lions, exploring their passions, motivations and aspirations in the creative industry.
Interested in growing your career in a creative agency? Get in touch with us today.