Curated Licensor Collections
Art + Creative Direction
As part of my creative leadership for Astek, I curated and art-directed a range of licensor collections that brought fresh perspectives and aesthetics to the brand. My goal was to expand Astek’s visual archive while elevating independent talent, building thoughtful partnerships that introduced new energy and dimension to the brand.
I sought out global artists, designers, and creatives from diverse backgrounds whose styles offered something unique, whether through material experimentation or visual storytelling. From there, I guided each collection through concept, development, and execution, ensuring they aligned with the larger brand identity while celebrating the distinct voice of each collaborator.
Below is a small sampling of the licensor collections I’m proud of. Each pushed Astek’s creative boundaries and showcase my broader approach to curation, collaboration, and art direction.
Ascend
Ascend was created in collaboration with acclaimed wallcovering designer Jill Malek. Known for her use of contoured linework and softly shifting palettes, Jill brought a sense of calm, geological rhythm to the collection. Inspired by the undulating forms of mountain ranges, Ascend translates natural movement into ethereal, large-scale repeating murals.
Best of NeoCon Silver Award Winner, MetropolisLikes Winner, HiP Awards Finalist, HD Award Finalist, NYCxDESIGN Honoree
Uplifted
Uplifted was created in collaboration with surface designer Tom Lerental of Tomma Bloom, whose work is defined by joyous color palettes and playful geometric structures. For this collection, we paired Tom’s distinctive aesthetic with Astek’s dimensional haptic printing technique to bring depth, texture, and tactility to the designs, resulting in a collection that uplifts both figuratively and literally.
Interior Design Best of Year 2023 Contract Wallcovering Winner
Apperception
Apperception was curated from the photographic works of Steve LaVoie, whose images evoke abstract paintings but are captured from concrete walls, weathered steel, and overlooked urban surfaces. Rooted in the idea of finding beauty in the forgotten, the collection blurs the line between representation and abstraction. Immersive and textural, these murals draw viewers in, often without revealing their industrial origins.
Hospitality Design Awards Winner
Astratta Miami
Astratta Miami was designed in collaboration with Italian product and surface designer Elisa Passino. Inspired by the shapes and colors of Miami’s Art Deco architecture, the collection evokes the character of Elisa’s hand-printed tile work through the use of risograph-printed texture that was later digitized. Each tile-like motif is reimagined for the wall, offered as both repeating wallcoverings and large-scale murals to create visual impact at any scale.
IIDA HD Expo Product Design Award Winner, NYCxDESIGN Award Winner, HiP Award Finalist, Interior Design Best of Year Awards Finalist
Animalistic Animals
A long-time Astek client and creative force against all things beige, Andrew Alford pitched the concept for Animalistic Animals, and the rest, as they say, is history. Each animal group in the collection came with its own backstory and rating (from PG to R), as Andrew crafted wildly imaginative scenes full of foliage, mischief, and playful debauchery.
I brought his narratives to my design team and art directed their transformation from story to surface, resulting in a series of illustrative, irreverent, and at times delightfully inappropriate wallcoverings. Whimsical and unapologetically bold, the collection made an immediate splash. Drunk Monkeys, in particular, has since become one of Astek’s best-selling and most cult-followed designs, now spotted in bars, powder rooms, and restaurants nationwide.
