Drawing is a way of seeing, thinking and understanding - a creative process that fuels disciplines as diverse as art, product design, architecture, illustration and film. It’s one of the fastest, most intuitive ways to capture ideas and drive innovation. This event celebrates the role of drawing as a foundation for creativity across industries and practice.
Renowned designer Sir Jony Ive KBE (former Chief Design Officer at Apple and now Chancellor of the Royal College of Art), illustrator Charlie Mackesy OBE (author and director of the award-winning The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse), and Tim Marlow OBE, Director of the Design Museum, come together to discuss how drawing informs their work across design, illustration and film.
This event, part of the Royal Drawing School’s 25th anniversary series, is presented in collaboration with the Design Museum, who are delighted to support this celebration of how drawing shapes creative practice across disciplines.
Speakers:
Sir Jony Ive KBE
Sir Jony Ive KBE is a designer. He joined Apple in 1992. As Chief Design Officer, Jony was responsible for all hardware, user interface and packaging design, as well as the major architectural projects Apple Park and Apple retail stores. He led the design team for more than two decades, creating the iMac, PowerBook, MacBook, iBook, iPod, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods and HomePod. Co-founder Steve Jobs referred to Jony as his “creative partner”. He holds more than 14,300 patents worldwide, uniquely spanning both software and hardware design. Jony holds honorary doctorates from distinguished universities including Cambridge, Oxford and the Royal College of Art, where he currently serves as Chancellor. In 2019, Jony gathered the creative collective LoveFrom and, in 2024 co-founded io, an engineering and product development company committed to creating AI-enabled products, in close collaboration with both LoveFrom and OpenAI.
Charlie Mackesy OBE
Charlie Mackesy OBE British artist, illustrator, and author, began his career as a cartoonist for The Spectator, before becoming a book illustrator for Oxford University Press. His work has featured in books, private collections, galleries and public spaces around the world. His award winning book, ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse’, was published in October 2019 and has been translated into over 50 languages and dialects. Mackesy also wrote and directed an animated short film based on the book, which went on to win both a BAFTA and an Oscar.
Tim Marlow OBE
Tim Marlow is CEO and Director of the Design Museum in London. Over the past five years, he has transformed the landmark building into a hub for contemporary design with a wide-ranging programme that has received critical acclaim. Formerly Artistic Director of the Royal Academy of Arts and Director of Exhibitions at White Cube, Marlow has been involved with the contemporary art and design world for the past thirty years as curator, writer and broadcaster. He has written and presented over 100 arts documentaries for British television and presented radio programmes across the BBC since 1990 and lectured on art, design and culture in universities and museums in more than 40 counties. In 2020, Tim Marlow was awarded an OBE for services to arts and culture.
The Royal Drawing School's 25th anniversary exhibition and events are generously supported by Ralph Lauren, a valued partner of the School for over six years, helping to make high-quality drawing tuition accessible to all.
