Art Files: Shawnimals in Chicago, Illinois

Welcome to the art files! If you’re not familiar, it’s our little series in which we cover our love of the arts. We get a lot of it through our travels and our work, so here we are.

Doesn’t matter what it is: Could be street art, could be a museum, or it could be the multi-faceted world of Shawnimals. And such is today’s piece.

We’ve known Shawn Smith and the Shawnimals crew for a long time. We started out as fans, eventually became friends, and then started working together on projects. As colleagues and fellow makers, we’ve always had respect for what Shawn, his wife Jen, and the entire gang do over there.

Last time we visited Chicago, we swung by the Shawnimals studio to have a chat, take some pictures, and see what’s new.

As a lauded character design and creative studio, maybe you know them from their lovable plush characters, or their wildly popular video game, or their recycle/reuse Resketch project, or maybe Shawn’s art…or something else entirely.

Or maybe you don’t know them at all. If that’s the case, we’re here to change it!

Visiting their studio is like going inside their brain. There are plenty of Shawnimals products on show, but you’ll also find artwork, letters from customers, and plenty of inspiration from other designers.

They are basically the epitome of the “Fabric of America.” Check out the ton of photos below, and bring Shawnimals into your life over at their website. Enjoy!