Author's Note: Before you read any heartfelt poetry or thought-provoking culture critiques from Iris, you’ve almost certainly been drawn to it by the piece’s custom artwork. The art pulls you in, daring you to investigate the stories that lie behind the image of a frightened, furrowed brow or of the last green leaf hanging on to a spindly tree branch. And yet, despite how crucial the art is to the storytelling that we do here at Iris, we rarely get to hear directly from our artists. Fourth year Studio Art and Media Studies major Daphenie Joseph has worked for Iris for two years, turning written word into beautiful, evocative art. Luckily for us — and despite her busy schedule — Daphenie took some time out of her day to answer a few of my burning questions about her time as one of Iris’s amazing illustrators.
What first brought you to Iris and/or attracted you to working for Iris?
I actually heard about this position through a friend who thought illustrating for Iris would be something I’m interested in, so I looked into it and I really loved all the past illustrations from previous artists. I’ve always been interested in illustration, so having the opportunity to do that for a magazine like Iris was something that seemed exciting to me.
What is your favorite piece you’ve ever made for Iris? Why do you think it’s your favorite?
Honestly, every new cycle I have a new favorite piece, so currently, my favorite piece has to be one of the ones I made for this cycle. I wanted to try out digital collage instead of hand drawing, and it ended up turning out better than I expected! Being able to experiment has been my favorite part of making these illustrations.
What’s your favorite piece another artist has made for Iris?
There also isn’t one specific piece, but I really love all of Judy’s work because the art style is so textured and dynamic. I always really enjoy looking at all of Judy’s stuff!
What does your process look like for creating art to accompany a writer’s piece? What do you
find challenging or easy about this process?My process usually involves reading over the written pieces and trying to find a keyword or main idea that I can use to inform my illustrations. Sometimes it can be challenging because I want to make sure I make something that matches the wonderful work that all the writers create, so there’s a bit of extra pressure.
What advice would you give to someone hoping to become an artist for Iris?
Don’t be afraid to experiment with your illustrations and try out different techniques! This is the
perfect place to do stuff like that. Also, the work environment is so wonderful and the team is so kind and understanding, so I would definitely say go for it!
