Alya Jade
Debut Single Art
Reggae/pop artist Alya Jade and her manager approached me to do the artwork for Alya's debut single after Alya saw my work and became a fan. Massive humble.
This was around the time of Te Wāhine Zodiac and we drew our inspo from there, the song itself (which I got to hear before the majority of the country and felt super blessed) aswell as Alyas Māori heritage.
I illustrated Alya to embody the goddess in her song and centered her leaving enough room for the Album text and for graphic designers to work around.
I then pulled elements from the song to create the background. The disc not only balances the image so it isn't bottom heavy but also represents the moon and an inescapable spell (and a record!). Shrouding Alya and freeing itself into the sky above is the wairua of the song, the spell, the disguise and the mist through which she floats.
The moko that was created for the song cover is completely custom to this design (as is every single illustrative moko I create) and is the weaving of the spell itself.
We actually ended up with two illustrations. One where Alya has moko for the Reo Māori version and one where she doesnt for the Reo Pākehā.
Sometimes art just knows exactly what to do!
Kōrero mai for all commission enquires!