Maker Monday: An Aspire Exclusive Interview With Alex Liepman

As founder and CEO of DROOL, Alex Liepman promotes the future of art. DROOL provides a platform for underrepresented creatives to showcase and sell their work. In addition to representing young artists, the company initiates distribution solutions and provides artists with spaces to produce their work. As a young graphic designer, Liepman’s launch of DROOL stemmed from what he saw as an absence of contemporary creatives from the mainstream art scene. Liepman’s company endeavors to shed light on up-and-coming artists and offer them the support necessary for the continuation and success of their work. Introducing this week’s Maker Monday, Alex Liepman.

The painting above is a print by Aleksandar Bezinovic, an up-and-coming Croatian painter represented by DROOL.

The painting above is a print by Aleksandar Bezinovic, an up-and-coming Croatian painter represented by DROOL.

Andrew Joseph: What’s one thing people don’t know about you?
Alex Liepman: I went to uni to study Business and Accountancy. I hated it, and at the moment, I felt like I was learning nothing, but I feel it gave me a solid foundation and its dryness pushed me to explore other means of getting a creative fix. This ultimately led me on to teach myself Graphic Design.

Andrew: What’s your design pet peeve?
Alex: I hate grids and it often drives web developers mad. I know there’s a time and place for a grid, particularly when UI is involved. However, I like to break out the grid and allow a design to be more free-flowing. Whitespace is my friend.

DROOL represents Javi Cazenave, an artist from Spain who has worked in architecture and design, and currently focuses on painting.

DROOL represents Javi Cazenave, an artist from Spain who has worked in architecture and design, and currently focuses on painting.

Andrew: What might the design world look like in 10 years?
Alex: Some mad AR universe where we’ve all got headsets on and our younger selves would be ashamed…with Facebook launching Metaverse, I’m sure this will become a reality sooner than we think, unfortunately.

Andrew: What’s your go-to snack between zooms?
Alex: I’m weirdly obsessed with clementines. I could bang down a box of them in a few hours easily. They’re sweet and juicy, what’s not to like!

DROOL seeks to amplify alternative contemporary artists, representing early-career photographers, painters, sketch artists, and more.

DROOL seeks to amplify alternative contemporary artists, representing early-career photographers, painters, sketch artists, and more.

Andrew: Which room in the house do you find yourself working from the most? Why? How does this inform your thoughts about architecture?
Alex: During the lockdowns, I was working from my flat and it made me realize how horribly dark it is. Some fool planted a tree in front of 1 of 2 windows and it blocks out all the sunlight. Spending that long confined to a room with rubbish lighting is not good. Luckily, I’m now in an office in South London, so I’ve got out of there. For my next flat, some nice big windows with high ceilings are a must.

Andrew: What are three things you can’t live without?

  1. My laptop. You often won’t find me without my laptop. It’s my baby and I spend far too much time on it.
  2. Sweets. I definitely have a sweet tooth, especially if I’m hungover. I’m always filled with regret after polishing off a bag or two, but in the moment they’re so damn good.
  3. Water. It might be basic but it’s defo underrated. Some nice chilled water is so refreshing…and healthy.

About The Maker | DROOL is the online retail platform offering a new way to discover and shop for art. With fair artist commissions and sustainability at the heart of what they do, DROOL aims to change the entire industry by providing up to 90% of profits to its underrepresented artists. You can find a good overview of DROOL’s talented artist selection HERE.

As a graphic designer himself, founder and CEO, Alex quickly uncovered a severe lack of ethical representation and support for the emerging creatives in the industry. With that, he decided to do something about it and founded DROOL; which now collaborates with some of today’s most exciting and vibrant young creatives, all while actually supporting them fairly.

Alex has a strong ‘passion to champion and financially empower underrepresented creative talent’ with the all-encompassing goal of ‘increasing the flow of money to the grassroots of the arts–which in turn will help bolster its future.’

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