See below to read our creative director’s thoughts on each artist’s work…

Dima Krab

Dima is a master craftsman and artist based in the Ukraine. I found his beautifully intricate work after hours spent trawling Instagram. He creates stunning three-story high murals on the sides of buildings in his home city of Zhitomir. I felt honoured when he agreed to take part in the project and can’t wait to work with him again in the future. He is an emerging star of the creative world.

Jonas Devacht

Jonas is based in Belgium. He has a style and flair for dynamic composition which really draws you in. His work feels contemporary whilst also taking me back to an era when things seemed simpler somehow. I felt touched that artists based outside the UK were so willing to donate their time and talent to support a cause which benefits the NHS here.

Valentina Brostean

Valentina is from Turin, Italy – another county which has been hard hit by the Covid crisis. I love the wit of her illustration – it’s such an overt depiction of heroism. Her original paintings are extraordinary.  If you’re not familiar with her work, you should check out her Instagram feed @brostean_valentina_art. To own an original piece of her work is a dream for me.

Ana Marques

Ana is a student of the class of 2020 on a masters packaging course that I teach each year in Barcelona. Ana’s mum is a nurse and has been on the front line of the crisis. I can feel her respect for her mum’s dedication to her profession coming through in this piece. Ana applies her unique illustration style to a range of fabrics, wrapping papers and furnishings, which you can find on her Instagram @oficinadeaneta.

Kaloian Toshev

Kaloian is a brilliant illustrator of people. His work has a fashion editorial style to it. His depiction of a key worker ‘queen’ has a unique style and elegance – which is difficult to achieve with a biohazard suit! I love the use of colour and broken symmetry too.

Iain Macarthur

Iain’s work is already well known in the creative industry, especially here in London. His work plays with a depth and surrealism which feels instantly recognisable even when applied to entirely different subjects and media. I love the symbolism of the flowers that emanate from his depiction of this ‘queen’ character, which is mirrored with an elegant symmetry on the card.

Rachel Joy Price

Rachel is an exceptionally talented lettering artist. Her beautifully hand drawn type always seems to perfectly capture the emotions and sentiments of a topic. She is also a joy to work with (excuse the pun). She creates stunning, hand painted work and screen prints which are available at racheljoyprice.com. Want!

Jordan Robertson

A conceptual thinker as much as he is an illustrator, Jordan’s work always seems to communicate a second layer of meaning. I love that his card is a reflection on the countless, long hours that our medical staff have put in; working day and night when we needed them the most.

Nicolae Negura

This hand painted piece feels simultaneously real and unreal. It gives me a sense of an ‘ordinary’ person who is doing something extraordinary. Nicolae is based in Lisbon. I was very keen to work with him and one positive that I learnt from the Covid crisis is how simple it has become to collaborate with talented people who happen to live overseas.

Steven Wilson

Steven’s work has a bold, powerful simplicity and meaning that is Milton Glaser-esque (which is high praise indeed). The ingenious economy of elements in this work definitely gives me that ‘why didn’t I think of that?!’ feeling.

Steve Simpson

Steve and I worked together years ago on a Jameson Whiskey limited edition bottle. His work is always layered with symbolism. I love the fact that when his card is viewed upside down ‘NHS’ reads ‘SHN’ and stands for ‘STAY HOME NOTICE’. Remembering the bizarre times that we have lived through this year was a key reason for the creation of this deck.

Charlie Davis

Charlie was one of the first people to get onboard with this project, for which I am extremely grateful. His work always has an elegance and beauty which comes across in the flowing lines and forms used throughout the illustration. His card shows the simple heroism performed by people who wouldn’t even consider themselves to be heroes.

Alex Machin

We’ve worked together many times over the years on premium spirits design. Alex is incredibly skilful, and he achieves a miraculous level of detail in his work which leaves you wondering how on earth he did it! I can really feel the level of respect that Alex has for our doctors and nurses coming through in this stunning illustration.

Si Scott

Si is an extremely talented tattoo artist and illustrator based in Manchester. I was very happy when he offered to be involved in the project. His card is so arresting, so simple, and yet so beautifully crafted – perfectly balancing the hidden ace of clubs symbol with a portrait of a key worker.

Mariah Barnaby-Norris

Mariah is based in Canada. I discovered her work through ‘the design kids’ but unfortunately we have never actually met. Her card is dedicated to the ones who kept us entertained while ‘showbiz glistened with new sheen’ (the words of the writer Caroline Slade, who also contributed her talents to this project). I love the energy of her illustration style and her distinctive approach to the proportions of the human form.

Rob Draper

Rob is an extremely talented lettering artist who has honed his hand drawing skills to perfection (visit his Instagram feed @robdraper1 if you want to be mesmerised). Rob’s work has featured in many famous publications and it was an honour to have him involved. His joker is dedicated to those who kept their sense of humour while some of us were losing ours.

Cali O

An up and coming street artist best known for creating beautifully ornate tiles and applying them to distressed walls in unexpected urban areas. We met by chance on Instagram. His connection to transport for London inspired this dedication to the key workers who risked their own safety and kept the city moving during the crisis. Check out is work for sale at www.calioart.com/shop