Anthony Burrill is a graphic artist, print-maker and designer known for his persuasive, up-beat style of communication.
His work is held in museums around the world – the V&A, Cooper-Hewitt in New York, and he's had exhibitions with the Barbican, the Walker Art Center and the Design Museum in London. His clients include Apple, Google, the British Council, and London Underground.
But he's probably best known for his typographic prints and posters, including the now-famous 'Work Hard and Be Nice to People' – something that has become a mantra for the design community. Of course, words and language are an important part of Burrill's output.
Burrill was born in Littleborough, Lancashire. After studying graphic design at Leeds Polytechnic, he completed an MA in Graphic Design at the Royal College of Art in London. He now lives and works on the Isle of Oxney, Kent.
We met Anthony at the Design Museum in London for our next episode. It was interesting to hear about his childhood, and how he grew up in a quirky house near Oldham, a town that's the "home of the tubular bandage". We learnt more about his parents and where he might've got his optimistic outlook from. And why if there's ever a film about his life, the best bit will be when we visit his beloved local printers, Adams of Rye.
