My brain is
busy creating
rather than
over-thinking.
It’s a way
for me to
communicate
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Kerry Roper
Graphic designer and artist Kerry Roper
had a successful career when he came
up against severe depression at the age
of 24. Despite having work displayed in
the V&A, and having designed apparel
for Nike, Topshop, and the Science
Museum, he explains that none of this
mattered when depression took over.
Naturally, Kerry’s experiences with
mental health became infused in his
artwork. He points to one piece in
particular, ‘Time Waits for No Man’ – a
screen-print from 2009 that is part of
the V&A’s permanent collection. The
print explores a juxtaposition between
birth and death, realised in Kerry’s
graphic, street style.
For Kerry, his background in
commercial graphic design plays a
significant role in the reason why he
believes people are able to relate to
the themes in his work, explaining
how it helped him hone his skills in
communication – taking lessons from
the techniques needed to capture and
hold people’s attention when you only
have them for a brief moment.
Of course, graphic design is a huge
and varied field, something that Kerry
knows all too well as he moves between
commercial pieces, album covers,and personal work. But challenge and
change are exactly what Kerry needs to
keep his brain active in “the right kind
of way”.
“My brain is busy creating rather
than over-thinking. It’s a way for me to
communicate. The art of creating is a
beautiful thing on so many levels.”kerryroper.comMay 2019 • happiful • 89Kerry Roper
‘Time Waits for No Man’