Lee Anthony Aleong, a Trinidadian native currently studying in Graphic Design. He's explored most other design mediums and had the pleasure of designing the "presidents daughters" costume section for this year's Trinidad Carnival.
He also had his own greeting card design company in Trnidad before leaving for school a few years ago, and aspires to delve into video editing and someday..soon, owning his own design agency.
Well, we were very impressed with Lee's
designs and figured we'd try to unravel the creative machine
that is Lee Anthony Aleong.
CM: When was it that you realized
you had a great artistic ability?
Lee: i never really realized as you would put it. It was more
or less a natural thing for me, kids stuff like drawing cartoons,
lego blocks, coloring, crafts, anything creative just came
natural, and as I got older I developed it became more involved
in it, expanding into other things that involved art and design.
So it just came naturally.
CM: Does it run in your family by any chance?
Lee: Heheehe well sort of, but in different variations i have
a cousin whos my age born like a few days apart, she majored
in graphic design, and my mother and her siblings do like
pastries and cakes and different foods. So I guess it kind
of does run in the family a little, but just a little hhehehe.
CM: Do you do more of your stuff in the traditional medium
or computer aided?
Lee: Very much more in the traditional medium, for me it more
or less began with it pencil and paper, like some designers
i didnt start designing by sitting at a computer. to me in
some ways the computer limits you, I use it alot currently
to execute because its required for my jobs, but constantly
interchange and combine the two mediums, never limiting my
directions or creativity. But I still love sitting with a
penicl and paper.
CM: sweet
anything creative just came natural
CM: On the
computer side, what programs do you use most?
Lee: heheh like all hehehehe, am if not all i'm proficent
in most, for me any program i can take 20 mins and pick up
the basics. I started with the industry standards, photoshop,
illustrator, freehand, quarkxpress, corel, pagemaker, as of
late I dabble in avid, premiere, after effects, flash dreamweaver,
hmm gosh sound like a nerd hahhahah, no limitations anything
dealing wit print, design, basic progs for web, and video,
audio editing.
CM: an all around guru eh?
Lee: yes i'm a geek
CM: So who or what has been your influence throughout the
years?
Lee: hehehe guru am not really. Hhmmm my mother, my family
friends, life everything that surrounds me, music i tend to
take in alot. tv, animation, film, ads, artists like from
trinidad, carnival especially, and the traditional artists
van gogh, monet. its alot really. but i guess life mainly
i'm usually in awe of things most of the time like damn somebody
created that
CM: If you had the opportunity to work for or be associated
with a major studio /firm..who would it be, and why?
Lee: heheh am thats kinda tough. disney, warner, pixar dreamworks.
hehehe anyone heheehe ad agencies, but that would be just
for experience purposes, i tend to like the freedom i have
now with free lancing ive been fortunate in that where i've
worked in the past thus far my bosses tend to trust me enough
to let me do what i want . CM: Creative freedom
Lee: but lately i been goin through that whole caribbean industry
to the next level
CM: I see..and with that being said. From a Caribbean
standpoint, how do you see the opportunites for artistic business
offerings?
Lee: hmm i find in for example trinidad its tough its forever
changing and growing rapidly. from a caribbean standpoint
i think the skies the limit for artistic business offerings.
theres always more people wanting work done and more people
wanting to do it. Long term is dependant on what you produce
now to back yourself up in the future. CM: I hear that.
CM: You're involved in a business group, tell us a
lil about them.
Lee: hmmm SlackerZ well what can we say about SlackerZ, ehehhee,
they're a bunch of slackerz CM: lol
Lee: lol no its a small group of young people devoted to pushing
forward in basically anything media or promotions. Comprises
of 4 main members each individual responsible for specific
duties. It's a group that's not going to be limited to one
area of speciallization which for now is designing
CM: Visual artists are sometimes eccentric...what's
so unusal about you man?
Lee: heheh i'm weird hehehe Lee: i like to think i'm pretty
normal.. i'm like a big kid Lee: i'm not like those artists
in galleries drinking champagne and critiquing art Lee: i'm
a liming person who jus happens to do art and design Slackerz
Group : We Nah Giving Up 2005 says: i guess i'm eccentric
CM: Heh
Lee: i like simple things, a lil structure, laid back, never
serious all the time CM: Nice.
Lee: i guess to put it better i would wear a suit an tie,
but would prefer a tee and blazer and jeans
its not so much the cartoon its more the style
CM: You watch cartoons right?( 'fess up) Which ones
are your favourite?
Lee: lol
Lee: hmm soo many to choose from hehehehe CM: mmhhmm
Lee: the comic ones, batman, superman, anything more or less
that shows on a saturday morning i guess hehehe dexters lab,
kim possible, lol power puff girls lol the incredibles aye
dat was funnyy
Lee: its not so much the cartoon its more the style they're
done I appreciate
CM: Something everyone should know about you, but forgot to
ask.
Lee: hmmmm.....
Lee: "where you from? ..trinidad ... but you look chinese..."
Lee: hehehee
Lee: does that count CM: ..I guess
Lee: or they start speaking some asian language and i'll be
like whoaa hold up
CM: ok..Anything you'd like to draw to our attention
before closing?
Lee: hmmm nothing in particular i plan to be around for a
while hopefully.. spread love heheeheh CM: "spread love"..we'll work with tha.
CM: Thanks for your time man...apreciate it.
Lee: not a probs
Lee: always here to help CM: More vibes.
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