Jon Burgerman on playful art, "Torn" series, and party hat characters

 Jon Burgerman, the UK-born, New York City-based artist, is renowned for his vibrant paintings and playful characters. With a career spanning various mediums, from murals to greeting cards, Burgerman’s work exudes an infectious energy and whimsical charm. In this feature, we delve into his creative process and inspirations behind his latest collections, "Torn" and "Party Time".

Jon Burgerman has recently released two collections of greeting cards with us at Evermade, featuring the playful "Torn" series and the whimsical Party Time characters from the "You Met Me at a Very Strange Time in My Life" exhibition at L21 Gallery, Spain. We caught up with Jon to learn more about his inspirations and artistic journey.

  

How do you keep your art so playful and full of energy?

A healthy fear of death. If you can’t have fun now when will you?

Can you tell us about your "Torn" series and how you came up with it?

I’d been making very large, soft abstracted paintings and needed a break, so I decided to create the exact opposite (in my mind); small, graphic, playful works that could be created spontaneously. Tearing a sheet of colour paper is a pure act of joy which I implore you to try.

What inspired your party hat characters in "You Met Me at a Very Strange Time in My Life"?

The song ‘It’s My Party’ by Lesley Gore.

How do you envision people enjoying your designs as greetings cards in their daily lives?

With a knowing smirk!

Social media seems to play a significant role in your career. How has it influenced your art practice and engagement with your audience?

It’s influenced all our lives in ways we might not have realised or hoped for. Whilst it’s great to have an audience sometimes it’s better (for the creative process) not to be thinking of anyone other than yourself.

You've worked on a wide range of projects, from murals to toy designs. What are your favourite materials to work with and why?

I love just drawing something with a marker pen on a piece of paper. It’s so pure and immediate, like running out into a field of freshly laid snow.

How does living in New York influence your art?

It reminds me of the ridiculousness of life, as deciding to live here as an artist is pretty stupid (unless you have a lot of money from somewhere). Everything in New York is extreme and I think I need that to help register emotions in my stoic little heart.

What music do you listen to while working?

Here’s my studio playlist. It gets added to through-out the year. It’s completely just for me, not trying to show off how amazing my music taste is (or isn’t).

Which artists and illustrators do you admire right now?

Christopher Rutledge, Susan Carr, Eun-Ha Paek, You Byun.

Who have you enjoyed collaborating with the most and why?

I just collaborated with a gallery in Taipei, Dopeness Art Lab, on a sculpture and I’m really amazed and happy with how well they produced the fiberglass piece. They took my 2D painting and together we turned it into a 3D form, but they did all the tricky technical bits.

What advice would you give to emerging artists?

Marry rich. Turn off your phone. Take your time. Play.

Jon Burgerman's playful art reminds us to always find the joy in creativity. His latest greeting card series with Evermade captures this vibrant energy – check out the collection, and while you're at it, don't forget to give his studio playlist a listen for a little extra inspiration.
Keep up to date with Jon's upcoming work here. You can discover his new greeting card series here.