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With the proceeds from this collection, Rastaclat and Denik support the building and maintenance of schools across the globe and Felt directly. Click here to see the creation, read on as we reveal more about the inspiration.
Since its inception, Rastaclat® has proactively looked for opportunities to live up to their motto of Spreading Positive Vibrations®. The creative arts are a cause that is close to the company as their products are known for their unique, one-of-a-kind patterns and flair. This made their collaboration with Utah-based Denik a natural move.
Denik, at its core, is a cause-based company that supports two distinct markets with the sales of their line of products, notebooks. First, they support education by donating a portion of the proceeds from each sale to a select group of schools throughout the world (last year they raised money to build a middle school in Mali, Africa). They also support the arts, especially that of independent artists who would otherwise spend years to develop a large footprint. These artists are invited to submit their art to Denik, who then handpick works for the covers of their notebooks. A portion of the proceeds are then paid back to the artist to support the development of their talent.
Felt, who is finishing his education at University of the Arts, London, created this image as an homage to a close friend that helped him to amalgamate to his unfamiliar surroundings in England. Felt’s goal is to create art that is evocative without being exclusive to one interpretation. The royalties he receives from this project will go towards future projects which he hopes to pursue in fashion with his wife and family.
The Denik x Rastaclat® collab is projected to drop early October. Proceeds from this collaboration will directly fund the building of a new school, or the maintenance of one in need, in Guatemala. You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter (@Rastaclat) for updates on this project. In the meantime, Rastaclat decided to interview McKay to understand the motivation behind the art:
Your friend, Pete Amuah, is featured in the art you made for the notebook. Can you tell us more about how you two bonded over music?
Pete isn’t a musician and I don’t think I’d technically considered myself one. I do make music on the side though as a hobby and I’ve probably written/recorded 200+ songs since high school. I think our friendship came from me wanting to learn more about the culture over in England. We just started talking about some music we liked, in general, and then I asked him to hook me up with English hip hop stuff and it just kinda flourished out from there. It was cool ’cause I recently did some work for Flying Lotus and Thundercat and I was able to take Pete up to the Parklife Festival in Manchester to watch them perform.
Where did you live before moving to England? Why did you move?
I’m from SLC, UT. I moved out over here [England] right after high school to do some humanitarian work and then went back to the U.S. after 2 years and studied at Utah State University where I met Tyler Tolson and the gang [at Denik]. He asked me to meet up with him and he told me about this idea he had called Denik and then that’s how our friendship began. I moved back to London with my wife last year to finish my education at the University of the Arts London (UAL).
What do you aspire to do with art?
What do I not aspire to do with art? I have so many projects I want to do it’s unreal and probably unhealthy. I loved being able to hook up with Denik because the drawings that I’ve made just for fun could be used as a platform to help give kids an education and a future. I like drawing things that are pretty ethereal and real but not quite all the way realistic. I think that in general I want to make people feel something. I don’t really mind what they feel, per-say, but I want them to get something out of looking at one of my drawings. I have my own interpretations of my stuff, but people can come to their own conclusions and I’m cool with that. I’ve also talked in the past of doing some fashion oriented things in the future with my wife, Emily, and her brother, Tyler Andrews, who is a killer graphic designer.
Do you remember the first thing that inspired you to become an artist?
I’ve literally been drawing longer than my memory can handle. It’s always been something I’ve done and enjoyed and I think I always knew it would be in my future.
What is your recent muse for what you create?
My most recent muse? I would probably say music, video games and London street culture right now. It’s just the stuff that is in my everyday life.
If you could be known for two things, what would they be?
This is a really hard question. I like it. I would probably say: 1. He loved/got along with everybody 2. He really loved what he did. So I guess between those two it would just be that I tried to send love out into the cosmos.
You can follow McKay Felt on Instagram and Twitter under the handle @McKayFelt. Also, check out these links if you want to see more of his work:
blog: http://mckayfelt.tumblr.com/
http://uk.complex.com/style/2014/01/mckay-felt-art/
http://www.clichemag.com/artist-watch-mckay-felt/
by / Rastaclat.com ©
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