Camellia Neri

Camellia Neri is a Los Angeles-raised, San Francisco and Joshua Tree-based illustrator, designer, and art director. She is the owner and creative director of creative agency Hasa Casa that literally designs everything (seriously!). Over the course of her career she has collaborated with some of today’s best-known companies including Penguin Books, Facebook, Intuit, Salesforce, and Intercom.

Hi Camellia! Tell us about yourself, how did you get to where you are today? What first sparked your interest in art and design?

Howdy! My full name is Camellia Beigh-Gacad Neri, which is a long way to say i'm Filipina and we have long names. I literally have no one in my family who is an artist or designer so you could say I'm an original in my family, but my brother is a firefighter and he literally saves lives so he wins on originality. That's all to say that I have no clue how I fell into art and design other than one day in my pre-teen years I picked up a pencil and started recreating Vogue ads on paper.

Camellia Neri

How would you describe your design style and how has it changed over time?

Styles tend to evolve with the rest of the world depending on where you live, how the world is doing, and what movements are happening. My college art history professor would be so proud that I finally understand context. I'd say my current style is just trying to survive this current world we live in, so I've reached a point where I just say I'm a creative and I don't discriminate against any type of art and design as long as it provides a happy income. Whether that's architecture, fashion, graphic design, fine art, brand development, interior design, tattoos, etc. Even museum curation has my interest as long as someone wants to pay me for it. All of these art and design types bleed into each other in terms of creative process.

What’s your creative process like and how do you approach creative collaboration with clients?

I definitely have a set process that I've worked on for a decade and it will always need work. Isn't that a vague Walt Disney quote about Disneyland? It will never be finished? I think so. Well then, my process is like Disneyland; constantly improving. I start off with the typical mood-board sesh, move onto the sketch phase to agree on concept, color, and final delivery. Works across nearly every type of creation. But, the part of the process that requires the most development is communication with the client. I try to be their advisor and friend all at the same time, which is difficult to juggle but is the challenge to accomplish. You're essentially winning their trust in all things taste.

Are there particular themes you like to explore through your work?

It depends on the client, what the project is, what their goals are, if they have competitors, etc. I've never worked on the same "theme" the same way twice. But, no matter the theme, hours and hours of research go into each development.

What’s been one of your favorite projects to work on so far? What would be your dream project?

Dream projects are children's books, which take a ton of work with smaller pay but I'm very happy to do it. The last project I did for a book was a Wildsam guide to Joshua Tree. My husband and I are lucky to have a house in Joshua Tree where we both can get away from San Francisco. He's a tattoo artist so he goes through the same creative stresses I do.

Do you have any favorite design resources?

Vintage children’s books! I get a rush from searching in person at local bookstores, but when I need to satiate a craving I usually head over to Oly Oly Oxen Free Books . I like driving around neighborhoods to look at architecture differences. I am also an Instagram saved folder addict and like to look back at posts I've documented, which are mostly interior design and illustration. And lastly, I love to look at runways both for fashion changes, art direction, and their event design. Sometimes I get to buy luxury fashion pieces and I treat them like a painting in my house. If I had important paintings in my house. I don't, but if I did I would treat them with care. This particular addiction requires constant project bookings so it does make me work harder. Not sure if that's particularly healthy.

What advice would you give to new designers who are just starting out?

Ooff, know that imposter syndrome does pass on to another host with time. And if it doesn't, it's usually because you're trying something new and that will pass too with time.

What are you working on now and what’s up next for you?

In January 2022, like many, I quit my full time job as an Art Director at a shockingly lovely agency because my client work finally reached a comfortable spot. I now make 3x's more than I did working 20 hrs less a week so it's safe to say that it was the best decision for me. I mainly art direct, produce, and design large brand and website refreshes, but my hope is to eventually offer a 360 art direction that includes everything from their positioning to their brick and mortar design to even employee clothing.

Since I have more time on my hands, I just started back at school for a degree in interior design and architecture. I started my career off with illustration in college and have been obsessed with it for many years, but for the first time in my life it feels right to not limit myself to any creative path. Maybe I'll go into fashion design next. Who knows. Those who have luckily survived it, the pandemic did something to creatives. It told us life is short and if you can, you should do anything you fucking want to and stop doing what makes you unhappy.

Thank you for sharing with us Camellia! To view more of Camellia’s work, visit her website and follow her on Instagram.

Camellia was nominated by Designer Fund. All art courtesy of Camellia Neri.