“…Zaha Hadid. I love everything about her work, her talent seems to explode from within.” Joanna Gilbert
Joanna Gilbert’s career began in marketing, including campaigns for global brands such as Puma, Orange and The Discovery Channel. Since her degree in Marketing at Manchester Met, her passion has always been branding. During 2008 she rediscovered her artistic path and moved into visual branding, including art and graphic design. Joanna is currently working on a series of paintings, photos and mixed media artworks on #iconiclondon. By applying abstraction, Joanna develops forms that do not follow logical criteria, but are based only on subjective associations and formal parallels of architecture. Her paintings reference recognisable form with results that are deconstructed to the extent that meaning is shifted and possible interpretation becomes multifaceted. Her works are based on formal associations with London and icons within her mind. Joanna Gilbert currently lives and works in London.
THC: What inspires you and why?
Joanna: Colour and structure are generally the source of my inspiration. I tend to be pulled in through photography that I see via social media and the internet. Architectural photography especially captivates me and suits the commercial environment I provide art for perfectly. The use of colour, lines and perspective really get me internalising how I would represent it artistically. This has formed the basis of a collection of works based on #iconiclondon. The collection includes works on Battersea Power Station, Big Ben and The Shard.
THC: How did you get into your business?
Joanna: The concept of Branded Art for Commercial Spaces was created from merging my artistic passion with my knowledge of branding. It was one of those text book euphoric moments when I realized that I can really add value to commercial spaces by painting their brand and bringing it to life through art. And so Your Branded Art was born!
THC: What are you working on right now?
Joanna: I am working on a series of paintings for an office reception in Shoreditch. It is an exciting commission where I am interlacing photographs that represent the philosophy of the business within the art work so it reinforces the brand in a subliminal and ambient way.
THC: How do you see your space evolving?
Joanna: The value and acceptance of art is increasing within the workplace and commercial environments. I see my business growing through strategic collaborations and alliances with people that understand the value of what I create and facilitate growth by adding culture into their workplace environment.
THC: Who’s your hero or icon?
Joanna: It has to be Zaha Hadid. I love everything about her work, her talent seems to explode from within. I have many books of hers and am in awe of her creations. So very inspiring.
THC: Where’s your favourite spot around the world?
Joanna: Wow, there are so many amazing places but I would have to say The Maldives. I love to scuba dive. It’s a different world in the ocean!
THC: What’s your favourite injection of culture into a brand?
Joanna: The injection of culture is another way of a brand connecting within your mind and emotions. I am not sure what my favourite example is. Taking it to its reverse though, I love the way that the Apple brand now has its own culture. I mean, if any brand knows how to get it right – its Apple. To the point that when I asked my 4 year old what does she think of when I say the word apple her reply was ‘ipad, iphone and apple tv.’ No fruit then! Well that’s the next generation.
