Year: 2015
Hometown: Portland, OR / Philadelphia, PA
Major: Visual Studies
Website: shakeil.com
Street: How did you first get into visual art?
Shakeil Greeley: I’ve been drawing since before I could even hold a pencil. I used to get my dad to draw for me when I was a very little, and I’ve been sketching and doodling ever since. My dad is a DJ and my mom is very interested in the arts so I’ve always been encouraged to be creative. My interest in digital work was mostly self–propelled as I taught myself graphic design programs in my early teenage years.
Street: Walk us through your artistic process—what does the start, middle and end of your projects look like?
SG: Almost all of my work begins in my pocket notebook that I keep with me at all times. I’m always taking notes or sketching so I then sift through all of that stuff before moving to the computer or the drawing pad.
Street: Who or what do you consider your major influence(s)?
SG: DJ culture, my mixed heritage, living bi–coastally since I was 6 and the open–mindedness of my parents have all had a massive influence on my work. As far as specific people, Japanese art has always been a big influence (I love the work of Murakami, Nara, Tadanori Yokoo and Yayoi Kusama). I also am very inspired by the diverse creative outputs of people like Pharrell and Kanye West.
Street: Are you working on anything at the moment?
SG: I am always working on something or else I get restless. Right now I am actively working on a corporate logo, a music visualizer and my resumé (ha) . However, I always have a few other projects that I am thinking about or am actively planning on working on.
Street: What is the most challenging project you’ve worked on?
SG: The most challenging project I’ve worked on recently is my in–progress music visualizer. Prior to making it, I had zero coding experience, so I had to teach myself the basics and then all about translating music to visuals in code. The result has been very rewarding so far, though.
Street: When you’re not working on your art, what do you like to do?
SG: I like to listen to music and dance. Japanese cartoons and video games are also one of my favorite ways of procrastinating. Besides that, just being social with my friends and exploring the city. There are some amazing things in Philadelphia that a lot of Penn students never see because they don’t leave campus, so get out there.
Street: Where do you see yourself going in the future?
SG: Ideally, I would love to work as an independent creative director, working in a variety of fields and with a variety of people. I enjoy having my hands in a variety of mediums at once and I strive to bridge the gap between practices that may seem disparate, so I think I would get bored if I was confined to one industry.
