citylikeyou — Stafford / Ben Anslow

Ben Anslow is a designer and illustrator working mainly with print, specifically in book design. Since graduating from Staffordshire University last year he has gained recognition from a variety of design publications, including Wallpaper*, Digital Arts and the London Design Festival. In 2011 Ben was awarded a D&AD Best New Blood and an ISTD membership for his typography. He is currently doing illustration work for Penguin Books.

http://benanslow.com

Designer Illustrator

Current city: Stafford

benanslow.com

Stafford / Museum

The Shire Hall Gallery is in the central area of Stafford town and is an exhibition space, library and cafe rolled into one. Recent exhibitions have included paper-cutting artist, Rob Ryan.

Stafford / Architecture

The village of Brocton is well known for having a number of timber-frame houses, but this house just stands out to me in particular. It was built in 1911 and is one of the most atmospheric and characterful houses you could possibly come across, in what is otherwise a quintessential English village.

Stafford / Place

Well known as being J.R.R. Tolkien’s inspiration for ‘Middle Earth’ in the Lord of the Rings books, Cannock Chase (colloquially ‘The Chase’) is somewhere that friends and I have frequented for many years. If you go to a part called Broc Hill at just the right time, you can literally just sit there and watch the sun disappear behind the horizon, and witness some stunning gradients in the sky. Also a great place for running and photography—you even get to see the odd few deer just bounding around. Cannock Chase is officially listed as one of England’s ‘Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ (AONB).

Stafford / Lake

In 1936 George Orwell described Rudyard Lake in one of his diary entries as ‘very depressing’. Today though, I can confirm that it really is a lovely place, with a fascinating display of lakeside cabins and boathouses—more reminiscent of something you’d see in New England than the Midlands. The most popular thing visitors do is set themselves the goal of walking full circle around the lake, which is about 4-5 miles and takes around 2 hours.

Copenhagen / Designer

Illustrations Graphic Designer PR & Communication The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts

Ho Chi Minh City / Creative Director

Vũ Hoàng Anh is a Vietnamese designer working across disciplines from product design to creative direction. He received his BFA from Ohio Wesleyan University where he was trained as a sculptor. Such academic background allows Anh to apply his craftsmanship and earn valuable experience from hands-on collaborations with independent artists and local craftsmen. In 2017, he founded LINEA, his own studio practice in Hồ Chí Minh City and dedicated fully to his creative direction and design projects.

Edinburgh / Creative Director

Jaco is founder and creative director of Jaco & Co. They are primarily an interior design and build company working in the hospitality and commercial sectors. They conceptualise bars and restaurants from their very inception, providing a full brand identity service that manifests in print, on screen and 3D, surface-driven environments.

Oslo / Designer

I’m a British citizen currently studying product design at the Akershus Oslo University College. At the age of 4 my parents took me to Lanzarote, which was a pretty funky place to grow up! I moved to Oslo 11 years ago, where I worked as Harbourmaster at the Royal Norwegian Yachtclub until starting studying. I haven’t really found any nieche yet, but I enjoy trying to incorporate feelings into my work and trying to design an experience instead of just a product. I’m very inspired by my surroundings. I suppose I’m on some kind of creative journey at the moment, but I don’t really have a clue what I’m doing or where I’m going to end up. I use humour as a defense mechanism, worry too much and cry when I watch soppy movies.

San Francisco / Creative Director

Designer & creative director based in San Francisco with a passion for art, craft, and hospitality.

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