Marian Bantjes is a world renowned Canadian designer, illustrator, artist, typographer and writer. With decades of experience working as a typesetter and co-founding a graphic art studio, Digitopolis, in 2003, she decided to put her career on hold and follow a new road of progression. This new road focused on explorative creativity, obsessing over handwork patterning and ornamental designs. Bantjes compared her previous work at Digitopolis to every other studio - no style and a heavy client-based mentality. Although she expressed that that is exactly what you need to produce a successful studio, Marian wanted a way to affect people in a stronger way. During that transition from client-mentality to personal expression, she developed her own style...a style which she would become internationally known and be hired for.
Bantjes' style and work can only be described as creative and obsessive. Her intricate hand-drawn ornamental lines, deep introspective layouts, and innovative packaging, are all part of her process to create something new and unique.
Speak Up was an online forum where artist could discuss, argue, and indulge in everything that is design. Marian was a frequent writer on the forums, making a mark with articles deconstructing the alphabet, and comparing santa clause with a garden gnome. She made another mark by winning their annual t-shirt design competition as well. She described her experience on Speak Up as a way to get advice, be proven wrong, and witness new evolving styles, something like this wasn't readily available at the time.
Bantjes took a enormous chance in order to focus on work that means more to her than anyone else. Her obsessive process in art has gone appreciated by the world leaders in design, and she continues to complete work that will affect others differently than she has ever done before.
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