Following the excitement of New Designers last month, Hospitality Interiors’ Gemma Ralph catches up with interior textile designer and One Year On exhibitor, Adam Slade …
Could you tell me a bit about your work/ background?
All of my work starts with hand illustrations using a fine liner, from observations I make about the things I love and surround myself with. Things such as insects, animal bones, antique metalwork, statuary … this hand drawn imagery is then translated into digital format, tweaked and altered to a high standard and then placed into print design, where I then consider placement, scale and also the combinations of which colours and pattern work best with each drawing.
Colour or texture again is done by hand, often with inks, fabric dyes on paper, collage … all of which are also scanned in and manipulated using creative sofwares and combined with the drawings to achieve the finished effect.
How did it feel to return to New Designers as part of the One Year On exhibition?
It was amazing to return to the show a year on … the exact feeling of nervous yet excited tension brought me right back to when I exhibited at a graduate. The group of exhibitors whom I showed alongside were a fantastic group of talented and wonderful people, as a show I think we were all very cohesive and supportive of each other and that made the experience all the more enjoyable.
What was your experience of the show first time round? Do you feel it’s a valuable platform for emerging designers?
I think there is no better show for young and emerging talent. The potential contacts that can be made from the flow of visitors to the show is unlimited. Both times around I have found the show to be an amazing experience, as well as incredibly useful and also worthwhile.
What opportunities did the show present for you?
New Designers 2011 presented me with the opportunity to design a lampshade which was then produced and installed in 60+ of the luxury bedroom interiors at the Mercure mGallery Francis Hotel in Bath. This initial commission provided me with the funding to be able to exhibit at Tent the following year and also OYO this year. OYO itself held some interesting encounters for me, one of which I am currently pursuing which could see me as a digital fabric print technician for a large textile printing firm.
What path has your career taken since then?
Career wise I still need to find my feet. Hopefully the job I was offered through the contact I made at OYO will be the first step in my proper career in the field of digital print. Producing my own work will always be a part of my working life, however as it is currently full time employment is required in order to pay the bills!
