Mark Ward is an artist based in London.
His work is derived from his obsession with Americana. Raised on a diet of Saturday morning cartoons, BMX, skateboarding, and drawing, Mark has kept true to his roots soaking up every last candy wrapper and morphing them into his surreal and comical visions.
Growing up in the South London suburbs in the late 80’s, Mark was reading every possible American skateboard magazine he could get his hands on. He realized his grey London environment didn’t reflect the sunny California he was being sold in the magazines. Rolling through puddles in South London just doesn’t match up to cruising along Long Beach.
Mark’s work mixes the everyday mundane with surreal elements of the 80’s American bubble, encouraging the viewer to see things differently, and peel back the gloss on the pop imagery that he worshipped in his childhood.
A graduate of Central St Martins, Mark has been recognized by the Art Directors Club and received a Young Gun Award for his outstanding illustration work. He has exhibited internationally throughout Europe and America, in both solo and group shows. His work was also included in the Pop Art Design show at the Barbican.
Alongside his personal work, Mark creates bold imagery for a wide range of commercial opportunities including fashion, magazine covers, editorial and large scale installations. Projects include signature work for Stussy, Burton Snowboards, Nike and Columbia Records.
Clients include:
Adidas, Anomaly, Atlantic Records, Burton Snowboards, Cadburys, Columbia Records, Converse, Etnies, The Guardian, HarperCollins, Jordan Air, Medicom Toys, Microsoft, MTV, Nike, Puma, Pepsi, Red Bull, The Shortlist, Sony, Stussy, Studio Output, UsTwo