Next Creative Leaders

Next Creative Leaders is a portfolio competition that identifies, celebrates, and gives a global platform to talented women and non-binary creatives who are making their mark on the world with both their work and a unique point of view on creative leadership.

2020 Next Creative Leaders - NCL Profile

Anyaa Dev

Agency Anyaa Dev

Client NCL 2020

Category

Europe

Annual ID

NCL20_EU_Dev_0

Next Creative Leaders 2020 - Winner Profile


Anyaa Dev

Anyaa Dev

Art Director
Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam
Amsterdam, Netherlands

I was born an odd shade of beetroot red in New Delhi. Between my howling and screaming and the storm brewing outside, it seemed as though the skies were crying and the thunder was coming from inside me. Symbolic of the feisty human I was destined to grow into. I finally developed fingernails and learned to draw all over my parents chalky white walls. Surprisingly, they kept my drawings and called them ‘actually kind of cool’. That was my first piece of art direction and they were my first clients.

17 years later, my skin tone normalised and I moved to London to learn stuff at Central Saint Martins, with all the world's weirdest people, I finally fit in. I had a wild 4 years. I knew I wanted more from my life than moving back, getting married, getting pregnant and dying. So I worked really hard. While in my last year at uni, I started a placement at Anomaly which eventually turned into a job. I loved my time there and got to learn the ropes from some of the most incredible women whom I still admire today. I worked on amazing brands like Stella McCartney, ELLE Magazine, Trainline and Gordons gin. Anomaly decided to sponsor me! Finally all the hard work paid off.

A few technical difficulties later I found out I had to move back to India overnight. I could see my future flash before my eyes. Moving back, getting married, getting pregnant and dying. I was desperate to avoid this becoming my life so as soon as I moved back to Delhi, I interviewed at Wieden+Kennedy Delhi and got the gig.

I was hired to work on my dream brief - Nike India Women. I was 21 and really was thrown into the deep end. So I learned what a deck was and googled “moodboards” and managed to make a film called DaDaDing, under the invaluable mentorship of Susan Hoffman. We won a few awards.

After working on Nike, Royal Enfield and Make In India, I started getting the itch to dump my boyfriend and move to a new country. So I came to W+K Amsterdam. I have been here for 3 years working with the most incredible humans on brands like Nike, Facebook, Samsung and many more.

Being a woman of colour navigating my way through white, male waters, I am extremely aware of who I am and what it means to have privilege in this world. I am more passionate in the activism involved in uplifting marginalised communities than absolutely anything else.

And when the world gets heavy, I make art. I paint beautiful women of colour, thriving. I also make digital art and have created pieces for magazines, events, techno concerts and for myself. I even paint murals. So I guess a lot has happened, but I’m still out here drawing on walls.

2020 Awards

NCL Regional Winner
Share To

Related Awards

 

 

 

 



Follow Us