Name: Deanne Cheuk

Age: 20 something

Location: New York

URL/s: www.neomu.com

Tell us a little bit about your background? where are you from originally, etc?
Perth, Western Australia. I left in 2000.

What are you doing now? where do you work?
Now I am based in New York and I am working on a few different things at once. I work as a senior art director at the advertising agency Dirty Water, and I am the art director and designer for Tokion magazine. I also have many clients of my own including Levi's Strauss Japan and Conan O'Brien, and I freelance for other advertising agencies including David Carson Design. When I save enough money from working I publish a graphic 'zine of inspiration called Neomu.

What was it like going from Australia to New York?
It was so easy that I am still waiting for everything to fall apart.

What was the process you went through to make the trip?
Booked my ticket and just left.

How do you think your design style has changed since the move?
I definitely have more confidence in my work and know what I like and don't like. Before, I think I was younger and less sure of what worked and didn't work. Also I didn't start to work as an illustrator until I moved to New York and I think that comes through in my work a lot now too, my editorial/art direction work for magazines is very illustrative and more free.

Neomu is an awesome little package, how did you come to start it and what do you hope to achieve with Neomu?
Neomu started after I ended Mu. I didn't have the time to publish Mu anymore but I still wanted to do something inspiring and collaborative.
I got annoyed with all the overpriced design books and magazines on the market and I wanted to do something that was amazing on every single page. Something that would be the most inspiring thing ever! I guess that's only discerned by the person who buys it but I like it anyway. I also wanted it to be free or easily attainable, which is where the $1 price came in. The proceeds go to charities.

How many issues do you see yourself making?
I want to do 10 issues and then publish a compendium shaped like a brick.

Mu was a great magazine. What happened to it and will we ever see it
resurface?
I don't think it will resurface again for now. It finally broke even in costs on the fifth issue and that was when I chose to call it a day.

Do you have any new projects coming up that you can tell us about?
I have a limited edition collection coming out that I did for Levi's Strauss Japan in my namesake, I also did a "feature designer" graphic for M-One-11, I'm planning Neomu 5, and also www.AplentyProduct.com

What do you know about Australian design/designers?
Australian designers are the next big thing!

Any final comments?
Can you send me some Milo please?

Thanks Deanne!