Crowlab Studio is a new collaborative illustration studio, founded on our combined years of artistic and design experience. Having both been creative professionals in our own fields since the mid-2000's, we find ourselves now organically positioned to specialise in hand-drawn illustration and 2D animation with our main areas of focus being editorial, publishing and branding as well as continuing our work within the sciences, music industry and wider community-based initiatives. After collaborating successfully for over a decade on a wide variety of personal projects, we launched 'Crowlab Studio' officially in mid- 2025 as a professional platform to host the best of our combined output, aiming to leave our mark on the international illustration and animation industries. Our detailed work emerges from experimenting, discussing, responding and refining in order to construct visual arguments and perspectives that aim to cut through the digital noise and resonate on a human level.
We believe that utilising tactile hand-crafted processes and combining sparingly with well-chosen contemporary tools not only has the ability to express even the most complex topics to anyone but also combines the legacy of hand-crafted illustration with a considered approach to modern technology. Our work is hand-crafted with intention and attention to every detail, believing that visual communication is socially and culturally important and we want to work with others that feel the same. This focus ensures a high-quality outcome that amplifies the subject as well as ourselves.
We work freelance, full-time, in our shared physical studio/lab, focussed on keeping an uninterrupted creative workflow, exploring thought-provoking topics and self-initiated projects when not working alongside our clients. We split our time between London and Crete, allowing us to gain as much inspiration, time and opportunity as possible from these two contrasting environments.
Alongside our work with independent organisations, art directors and varied clients, we make an effort to bring those casually experiencing our work behind-the-scenes of our process driven pieces. We reveal the creative and material choices we make, especially evident in our personal editorial explorations within the sciences with the Contemporizer Ebook. We also present our process in our monthly newsletter - from sketches to finals, research and opinions, ambitions and past projects - creating communication, not content. If you would like to discuss a project with us, feel free to contact us here.
CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research), Pan Macmillan, Beijing Science Museum, Last Podcast on the Left, Z2 Comics, LG, Four Quarters, Oxitec, Craft Beer Rising, Elastic, Royal College of Art, Lambeth Borough Council, Progress4London, Youth Offending Service, Waltham Forest Borough of Culture, National Taiwan Normal Univeristy, Danezis Stories, Glastonbury Festival, Boomtown Fair, Happy Slap Boutique, Civilised Mess, Circus Records, Dark Cornwall, The Gothe Institite of the Arts, The Cornish Folklore Museum, The Coronet Theatre, Sample Gods, Terrakore Apparel, Greek Ministry of Culture, Ropi Publications, Tasty Travelling Chef, Greek Ministry of Education, Prosenghisi Film & Video Production, Municipality of Amarousio, Tiefenbach Water Hydraulics Inc., Palinor Media Production, ERT-3 TV, Open TV Greece.
Joe Furlong - Lead Illustrator
Freehand Illustrator, Visual Artist, Printmaker, Decor Artist.
Froso Papadimitriou - Lead Animator
Animator, Conceptual Artist, Multi-skilled Maker, Educator
What is Crowlab Studio?:
Joe has spent 20 enjoyable years working in visual arts and decor under the moniker 'Joefur', developing a confident freehand drawing style that blends abrupt surrealist freedom with comic realism. Immersed in the underground London DIY art scene, Joe focussed not only in exhibiting his work but also hosting exhibitions, becoming the co-founder of the Minesweeper Collective Co-op and Undercurrents Gallery, running in Deptford, London between 2012 and 2019 where he organised events, art residencies and group shows. He has exhibited in UK, France, Italy, USA, Mexico, Greece and China and worked extensively in the UK music scene designing and screen-printing merchandise and painting decor for events, performing ink on wood public Live Art sets. Alongside this he also engaged in youth work and workshop co-ordination with The Prince's Trust, Youth Offending Service and Centre Point finding this to be the ideal balance for his introverted creative career. After the Covid 19 pandemic bringing an end to the majority of the DIY scene and feeling that he had hit a glass ceiling within the artforms and formats he appreciated, he intentionally made the jump from 'artist' to 'illustrator' by recently completing MA Illustration (with Distinction) at Falmouth University, specialising in Conceptual Scientific Editorial Illustration which aims to be a cornerstone of Crowlab Studio. Whilst primarily drawing his work with ink on paper, he combines traditional art approaches, using digital methods to combine either pre-prepared hand painted or textured colouring and refine edits and layout within projects to fulfil the projects communicative and tonal needs. As lead illustrator he takes charge of all the graphic elements of Crowlab projects.
Froso was born in Thessaloniki, Greece where she immediately became part of the city's thriving art and music scene, DJing for a local radio station from the age of 16 and crafting her own unique brand of muti-format visual art. She then studied applied arts, illustration and graphic design, later relocating to London to further her education, completing a BA (Hons) in Fine Art at Middlesex and an MA in Arts Management and Policy, Curatorial and Educational pathway at Birkbeck. As well as illustration, Froso experiments with multiple art forms, such as painting, art installations, drawing, sculpture, lamp making and video. Her personal work is defiantly anthropocentric, focusing on behaviours and social dynamics, always posing questions and encouraging discussion and idea exchange at every opportunity using art as the catalyst. Froso has collaborated with national and international galleries in UK, Greece, Turkey, Germany, France, Italy, Finland, Netherlands, Portugal, USA, Taiwan, Japan, Sweden and China. She has also contributed to various publications in UK, Taiwan, USA, Greece, France, Germany and Argentina. Parallel to her artistic endeavours, Froso organises and curates exhibitions and events at various locations nationally and internationally and has delivered workshops and lectures internationally. She is currently a guest lecturer at Royal College of Art, London for the department of Environmental Architecture. Her company 'Froso Creatives' offers animation and motion graphics services, providing the movement to Crowlab Studio projects as well as combined creative direction. As Lead Animator she takes charge of all animation-oriented commissions.n
Crowlab Studio:
Creative Partners in Crime...
