Mcbess, Andrew, Chrissie & Sam

Join Mcbess, Andrew Rae, Chrissie Macdonald and Sam Summerskill (B&A) for a conversation around the importance of friendship and in-person community when working as a commercial artist.

Clicks, likes, views, and the pressure attached to them can skew the creative process. The antidote? Building a community that exists beyond the algorithm. This isn’t about keeping things easy, it’s about creating space to be honest, to take risks, and to push an idea further than you might on your own. Making art with friends creates a creative shorthand, where thinking becomes quicker, becomes more instinctive, and allows for making mistakes as part of the process.

This conversation opens up a dialogue around how collaboration, friendship and shared energy shape the work in a more human way.

Meet the Panelists

Mcbess is a multi-hyphenate creative running his own illustration and animation business. He is also a partner in the globally successful lifestyle and clothing brand The Dudes, with stores across Europe.

Andrew Rae and Chrissie Macdonald are multidisciplinary artists and illustrators based in London, also known as Moonhead Studios. Andrew’s vibrant and irreverent illustrations and animations for clients including Minor Figures, The New York Times and MTV combine hand-rendered drawing and digital techniques. Chrissie creates playful sculptural pieces and bespoke stained glass that blend traditional techniques with contemporary practice for the V&A, The Finnish Institute and The Guardian. Together they have staged creative workshops as well as live drawing and music events - including Heavy Pencil - at Somerset House, tokyobike, Tate Modern’s Corner bar and Dulwich Festival inviting other illustrators, musicians, costume and set designers to take part.

Sam Summerskill is the Global Brand Director of B&A, a creative management agency that represents artists working commercially. Sam works closely with B&A’s roster to help shape ideas and carry them into the world,a process which often requires connecting people who wouldn’t usually cross paths.