Anna Deller-Yee

A DESIGNER THAT PAINTS TOO MUCH...

Anna Deller-Yee (she/her) was born in 1994, in Chicago, IL, U.S.A.

In 2018 she completed her BA (First Class Hons) in Fashion Design and Development at the London College of Fashion whilst undertaking a successful industry practice year. She has won multiple awards including the Bavarian Sparkassen Debut Prize and Bavarian Catalog Prize for emerging creatives with her painting and illustration work. In late 2019 and throughout 2020 she saw herself exhibiting in multiple solo and group exhibitions in Germany whilst gaining experience on the art market.

Today the half American, half German creative lives between Berlin, Germany and the London, UK. whilst completing her MA in Fashion at the Royal College of Art.

Anna specializes in fashion, concept and graphic design&development, painting and illustration, visual communication, research, curation and interdisciplinary work. Her multidisciplinary interests and background enable the thorough and detailed development and execution of commercial as well as artisanal projects. She is eagerly learning, continuously developing and enhancing ideas, whilst aiming to push boundaries in individual as well as collaborative and interdisciplinary practices.

Studying body and identity politics on the MA Fashion course at the Royal College of Art inevitably informs my practice as a creative.

Through lived experiences, observation and documentation, I methodologically explore social relationships around human identity, forms of power and physical touch being a woman.

In the process, I work in a self-exploratory way by using my body and self as the means of inquiry and interact with other inspiring individuals through photography, film, illustration and discussion. I continue by deconstructing and merging collected data with my personal touch of body, heritage and lived experiences as well as secondary sources to back up the primary ones.

The materials I choose to work with, including linen canvas, wool, oil paint and ink to name some, are of traditional origin (yet this list is nowhere near complete and always seeks to be expanded and challenged). Similar to the practice itself, I believe by using traditional materials in my work, I am able to subvert their stereotypical associations through my sometimes contrasting and clashing topics. An iterative and instinctive approach is used when I work, as I believe this generates the most raw output.

In an increasingly fast-paced, isolated and digital age, I not only want to start vibrant discussions around bodies, identity and gender: my aim is to create a space where the marks of a woman's touch and contemporary body politics are preserved, to be remembered and to hopefully inspire others.

I believe that art should make you feel something - it should touch you.

— [Photo: Anna-Lena Krause, Type design: RESIAL, Nicolas Bernklau, Model: Charlotte Earl, HMU: Sonora Gregori]

The Symphony of Self is an on-going project analysing, reclaiming, manifesting and celebrating strength in fragility and what it means to be a woman through individual/collaborative work and tangible outputs.

For ACT I of The Symphony of Self named KAKUSHIBORI (Japanese: “hidden carving”), Anna collaborated with typographer Nicolas Bernklau (MA Typedesign, ECAL, Lausanne) to create a common shape pool from which both generate designs that inform the others. This shape pool is rooted in performances Anna conducted with her body and objects that represent the notions of hiding and revealing.

Within their joint practice as art directors of this new world, they question the stereotypical roles of type and fashion design and create exciting intersections between these domains. The outcomes for Act I consist of (but are not limited to) tangible wearables with prints, hand paintings and embroidery, a rich variety of type designs and physical publications.

The Symphony of Self will develop further past Anna’s graduation at the Royal College of Art into more physical publications and tangible outputs created by herself and Nicolas. Furthermore she’s excited to delve into the senses of smell and sound in future Acts.

For further development of this project please see the WIP RCA 2021 Website: https://wip2021.netlify.app/students/anna-deller-yee

Deepest thanks to all our wonderful collaborators, mentors, friends, family and partners.

In Collaboration with:

Nicolas Bernklau, MA Typedesign, ECAL Lausanne

Art Direction and Project Development

— [Type Design: RESIAL, Nicolas Bernklau]

— [Model: Jill Deller-Yee]

COMMON SHAPE POOLS, 2021 — First publication with Nicolas Bernklau [Photos: Sara Bastai]

— [Model: Jill Deller-Yee]

COMMON SHAPE POOLS, 2021 — First publication with Nicolas Bernklau [Photos: Sara Bastai]

— [Model: Jill Deller-Yee]

Line-Up — [Photos: Anna Deller-Yee, Model: Kaelan O'Neill]

— [Photos: Anna Deller-Yee, Jacquard fabric development in collaboration with: WEBEREI, Model: Kaelan O'Neill]

- — Hand-painted Hourglass Dresses [Photos: Anna Deller-Yee, Model: Kaelan O'Neill]

- — [Photos: Anna Deller-Yee, Outerwear in collaboration with: Victoria Böttner, Model: Kaelan O'Neill]

- — [Photos: Anna Deller-Yee, Model: Kaelan O'Neill]

- — [Photos: Anna-Lena Krause, Model: Charlotte Earl,HMU: Sorona Gregori]

- — [Photos: Anna-Lena Krause, Men's Jacket Collaboration: Anna Makri, Models: Charlotte Earl, Felix Sudbery, Danni Spooner, HMU: Sorona Gregori]

- — [Photos: Anna-Lena Krause, Jacquard fabric development in collaboration with: WEBEREI, Model: Charlotte Earl,HMU: Sorona Gregori]

- — [Photos: Anna-Lena Krause, Jacquard fabric development in collaboration with: WEBEREI, Model: Danni Spooner,HMU: Sorona Gregori]

- — [Photos: Bea Puppo Amo, Outerwear in collaboration with: Victoria Böttner, Stylist: Masha Mombelli, Model: Yanjie Zhang, Hair: Linus Johansson, Make-Up: Yoi Wan Kong]

- — [Photos: Bea Puppo Amo, Outerwear in collaboration with: Victoria Böttner, Stylist: Masha Mombelli, Models: Yanjie Zhang, Lulu Wang, Hair: Linus Johansson, Make-Up: Yoi Wan Kong, Shoes: Natacha Marro, Hat: House of Flora ]

- — [Photos: Bea Puppo Amo, Stylist: Masha Mombelli, Models: Yanjie Zhang, Hair: Linus Johansson, Make-Up: Yoi Wan Kong]

- — [Photos: Bea Puppo Amo, Stylist: Masha Mombelli, Models: Kaelan O'Neill, Lulu Wang, Hair: Linus Johansson, Make-Up: Yoi Wan Kong]

- — [Photos: Bea Puppo Amo, Stylist: Masha Mombelli, Model: Kaelan O'Neill, Hair: Linus Johansson, Make-Up: Yoi Wan Kong]

AKT I — 2020, Acrylic on Canvas, 70x100cm

Schmeckt dir Nicht — 2020, Oil on Canvas, 150x220cm

Aufsteigen — 2021, Oil on Canvas, 150x220cm

Sara — 2021, 29,7x42cm, Mixed Media on Paper

Victoria dancing — 2021, Mixed Media on Paper, 29,7x42cm

Glow in the dark man with flower behind ear — 2021, Mixed media on black watercolour paper, 25,4x35,6cm

Saras Flowers — 2021, 29,7x42cm, Mixed Media on Paper

As part of my project and general practice as a creative I use painting and illustration to channel my thoughts and feelings. Paintings and drawing aid me in brainstorming ideas for further work, my developmental work process and as a final outcome.

Here you can see a selection of works that were created in the process of The Symphony of Self, ACT I: Kakushibori

More of my painting and illustration work can be found here:

https://www.aakdy.com/painting

— [Type Design: RESIAL, Nicolas Bernklau]

Anna Deller-Yee

In Collaboration with:

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Royal College of Art