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You may not know his name, but you’ve seen his work woven through the visual worlds of some of the biggest names in pop culture. 

Having created bold and era-defining artwork for music artists including Nicki Minaj, Beck, Travis Scott and A$AP Rocky, and branding for clients like President Joe Biden, Louis Vuitton, Ferrari and Versace, it's safe to say that Creative Director and Graphic Artist Joe Perez has left his mark on pretty much every corner of the commercial landscape.  

By the end, I was in bed with ice packs on my elbows and ankles, after spending so much time at my desk

Perez first set his sights on being a music video and commercials director, studying film at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, but a short stint in the industry after graduation left him feeling disheartened. He went on to work as an editor and special effects artist in California, but eventually landed back in Rhode Island, where he transitioned into the far less glamorous world of web design for insurance companies. 

Above: Perez's album artwork for Billie Eilish's WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP WHERE DO WE GO?

“There was a lot of work, because everyone wanted a website back in 2003 or 2004,” he explains after his talk at OFFF Festival, Barcelona. “But it definitely wasn’t where I’d wanted to end up”. It was certainly a far cry from the high-pressure, glossy world of art direction he was about to be thrown into.  

The research that was most interesting to me during that period was religious artwork and symbols, because they stand the test of time. 

Everything changed when a call came from a film school friend, Toby Spellman. While working behind the scenes shooting album documentaries at MTV, Spellman was poached by Kanye West to be his personal videographer. “Fast forward two or three years,” Perez recalls, “Toby knew I was working in web design, and Kanye needed somebody to manage his site.”  

So, he came on board as the rapper's ghost blogger and website manager, spending every waking hour scouring the internet for content to populate Kanye’s now defunct blog, KanyeUniverseCity.com. He soon stepped up as Lead Designer at Kanye's design studio DONDA, marking the beginning of a long and creatively intense collaboration from 2011-2016.

Above: Perez's album artwork for Kanye West's Cruel Summer

Perez could often be found in the rare book sections of libraries, scanning material that had been out of print for over a hundred years. He dived deep into the alchemical artwork and iconography of ancient cultures and religious institutions, and crafted bold, esoteric visuals for the rapper’s album sleeves and merch. 

“The research that was most interesting to me during that period was religious artwork and symbols, because they stand the test of time. That approach - deep research - really stuck with me. It was something [fashion designer] Virgil Abloh especially pushed. He connected dots in culture better than anyone.” 

It was literally a cruel summer. I worked on that album from morning to night. I didn’t have a break at all. 

That immersive approach would soon push him to his creative - and physical - limits. While designing Cruel Summer, a collaborative album between Kanye and the artists on his GOOD Music label, Perez found himself tested like never before.  

Above: Perez's artwork for Beyonce's The Lion King soundtrack album

Part of that challenge? Designing an album when he wasn’t trained as a traditional graphic designer. “My Art Director gave me a crash course over those three months,” he says. “It was literally a cruel summer. I worked on that album from morning to night. I didn’t have a break at all. From June to September, I didn’t see the light of day, but I learned so much. By the end, I was in bed with ice packs on my elbows and ankles, after spending so much time at my desk.” 

I worked in the dark and let the mood or track titles guide me. My favourite is French electro, like Kavinsky.

“There have been other intense projects, but nothing quite like that,” he adds. A close second was designing the artwork for Beyonce’s soundtrack album The Lion King: The Gift, from Disney's 2019 photorealistic, computer-generated imagery remake of The Lion King. “We worked with a brilliant 3D team for two months. She wanted a cover that could also work as a jewellery piece. The challenge was how to reinvent The Lion King and the circle of life, visually and symbolically”.

Above: Perez's designs for President Joe Biden's campaign merchandise. 

Nowadays, Perez is part of New York studio WØRKS, where he collaborates with clients including Converse, Nike, and video game giant Activision, where he's developing influencer seeding kits for Call of Duty. He’s also worked with Kim Kardashian’s shape wear brand Skims, and two years ago took on the creative challenge of branding her investment firm, Sky Partners. “It was hard to make the branding feel like it came from her world while still being trustworthy and legitimate for finance. But she loved it, and I think it worked incredibly well”. 

I’d love to explore what a love story looks like, perhaps with an R&B artist, someone like The Weeknd.

Music plays an essential role in Perez’s creative process; not just as his subject matter, but as a key to accessing that sweet creative flow. Often not having access to the tracks while designing sleeves, he turned to his own favourites to power through those long, demanding sessions. “I worked in the dark and let the mood or track titles guide me. My favourite is French electro, like Kavinsky, and I listened to a lot of Metallica when I worked on Kanye's projects,” he says. 

Above: Single cover for Lil Wayne's track Love Me, art direction and graphic design by Joe Perez.

When it comes to his creative process, Perez champions the graphic designer’s tried-and-true toolkit. “I’m still using Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, After Effects, Premiere. I actually started editing in Premiere when I was 17 or 18,” he says. These days, he also experiments with newer tools like Stable Diffusion, Midjourney, and ChatGPT – and has even dabbled in Sora, which he describes as both the most exciting and uncertain advancement in commercial creativity. 

“Everyone may soon be able to generate their own long-form narratives. It raises questions: where does the bar start? What makes someone stand out? Talent, storytelling? We’re using AI tools now for testing visuals, proof of concept, but I’m cautious. I don’t use it for ideation.” 

Everyone may soon be able to generate their own long-form narratives. It raises questions: where does the bar start?

Despite his extensive portfolio, there’s still one kind of story Perez is itching to tell; “I’d love to explore what a love story looks like, perhaps with an R&B artist, someone like The Weeknd. There’s not a lot of opportunity to do that in hip hop”.  

Above: Album cover design for Desiigner's New English

Although his work now spans nearly every corner of pop culture, it’s Perez’s foundations in music that remain a steady source of creative resilience, adaptability, and insight. “Music is very freeform, and that taught me to be humble. Sometimes you just need to be a fly on the wall with artists,” he says. “I try to take that approach with branding clients too. Even in corporate environments, people appreciate a little bit of that creative freedom.” 

I had great mentors, especially my dad, who was an industrial designer. He taught me to work hard, make the most of every opportunity and learn from failure.

The pace has changed since the Kanye days, when “there was no way to decompress”, and the adrenaline of releasing work to millions kept him going. After years of intense creative output, he’s learning to prioritise balance. “Take more breaks,” he insists. “I had great mentors, especially my dad, who was an industrial designer. He taught me to work hard, make the most of every opportunity and learn from failure. I’ve followed that. But seriously, take more breaks.”  Now, he leans on a trusted circle of industry friends. “It’s like a creative support group,” he laughs. “We talk things through. It really helps.”

Whether he’s shaping a bold campaign for a global brand next or dreaming up untold love stories for an R&B artist he’s yet to meet, Perez isn’t the type to force anything. “I’ve always let life take me where it wants to,” he says. “So far, it’s worked out.” 

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