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“Summer is my happy space,” says graphic designer Xia Carstens, who goes by the moniker Xee Summer. “I thought it would be a good pseudonym because I want people to feel warm when they look at my work.” Her art does just that, with mustard, pink, orange and comforting blue tones appearing as the main thread in her 60s and 70s-inspired patterns and illustrations.

https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/lifestyle/2020-08-09-xia-summers-illustrations-are-wonderfully-psychedelic/

In a new ongoing series illustrator and designer Xia Carstens, aka Xee Summer, captures quintessential Cape Town – illustrating the iconic places that Capetonians know and love so well, and that make the Mother City what it is. “I wanted this series to be very true to Cape Town. Places people have fond memories of. Places which hold attachment or sentimental value. I didn’t want to include any places which you can find in any other province,” Carstens says. After driving past De Waal Park one Sunday the late afternoon light caught her eye, and she went home to sketch the...

Cape Town-based digital artist Xia Carstens, aka Xee Summer, creates bold, bright works filled with colour. Here, we chat to her about creativity, dream collaborations and her ever-evolving style. What do you love about being creative? The freedom of expression. The escape from reality. The world can be such a cruel, harsh place and it’s so therapeutic to just escape into another world and play in a safe space for a couple of hours every day. I firmly believe that everyone is creative and everyone is capable of tapping into that space. It just takes courage. How would you describe...

Cape Town-based digital artist Xia Carstens, aka Xee Summer, has started documenting her favourite spaces and buildings around Cape town in a series of intricate sketches. What inspired your Cape Town series? I was driving past De Waal Park one late Sunday afternoon and the light was so beautiful – so, as I went past the gate I decided to pull over and take a picture of it. I thought it would be a lovely thing to draw. I drew it in pencil, which is quite different to my usual style and medium. I really enjoyed working with pencil as...