Gemma O'Brien
Designer and illustrator | Elevating lettering to art
Has stood on these stages
About
Gemma O'Brien is a Sydney-based Australian artist and designer known for lettering, illustration and typography, from calligraphic brushwork to large-scale hand-painted murals. She has worked with brands and publications including Apple, Adobe, Qantas and The New York Times, and speaks at design conferences and runs lettering workshops.
What Gemma Talks About
How to be an ultra artist: Developing exceptional dedication and vision in creative work
Elevating lettering to art: Pushing beyond traditional typography
Design and illustration techniques: Transforming letters into visual experiences
The creative process: Building a distinctive artistic voice
Talks9
Gemma O'Brien at Forward Festival 2026
Gemma O'Brien at Design Conference 2026
Gemma O'Brien at Adobe MAX 2025
Gemma O'Brien at SmashingConf 2024
Design & Illustration
How to be an Ultra Artist
Beyond Fonts: Elevating Lettering to Art
Gemma O'Brien at SmashingConf Toronto 2018
Gemma O'Brien at SmashingConf Barcelona 2017
What events has Gemma spoken at?
9 events · 2017 to 2026 · 3 countries
| Event | Year | Location | Repeat appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design Conference | 2026 | ||
| Forward Festival | 2026 | Berlin | |
| Adobe MAX | 2025 | Los Angeles, United States | |
| SmashingConf | 2024 | ||
| SmashingConf Antwerp 2024 | 2024 | Antwerp, Belgium | |
| Beyond Tellerrand Düsseldorf 2023 | 2023 | Düsseldorf, Germany | |
| Beyond Tellerrand Berlin 2018 | 2018 | Berlin, Germany | |
| SmashingConf Toronto | 2018 | ||
| SmashingConf Barcelona | 2017 |
At a Glance
Get in Touch
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Christine VallaureDesign systems educator | Founder of moonlearning.io, bridging design and developmentHWHarrison WheelerDesign Manager | Design Management and Inclusive Feedback
John V WillshireStrategic Designer | UX Strategy and DesignIs this you?
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Who has Gemma shared a stage with?
7 speakers who appeared at the same event editions as Gemma
| Speaker | Shared events | Where they appeared together |
|---|---|---|
| Christine VallaureDesign systems educator | Founder of moonlearning.io, bridging design and development | 2 | SmashingConf 2024, SmashingConf Antwerp 2024View shared history → |
| Harrison WheelerDesign Manager | Design Management and Inclusive Feedback | 2 | SmashingConf 2024, SmashingConf Antwerp 2024View shared history → |
| John V WillshireStrategic Designer | UX Strategy and Design | 2 | SmashingConf 2024, SmashingConf Antwerp 2024View shared history → |
| Maggie AppletonStaff Research Engineer, GitHub Next | Design and AI | 2 | SmashingConf 2024, SmashingConf Antwerp 2024View shared history → |
| Nathan CurtisDesign Systems Expert | Building scalable design systems and component architecture | 2 | SmashingConf 2024, SmashingConf Antwerp 2024View shared history → |
| Pablo StanleyCo-founder of Blush (acquired by Figma) | Creator of Humaaans, Open Peeps, design educator | 2 | SmashingConf 2024, SmashingConf Antwerp 2024View shared history → |
| Stefan SagmeisterAward-winning Graphic Designer | Expert on Happiness and Creative Time Off | 2 | Beyond Tellerrand Berlin 2018, Forward Festival 2026View shared history → |
Similar Speakers
Related by topic and shared stages
Stefan Sagmeister
Award-winning Graphic Designer | Expert on Happiness and Creative Time Off
Both at Forward Festival 2026, Beyond Tellerrand Berlin 2018
Christine Vallaure
Design systems educator | Founder of moonlearning.io, bridging design and development
Both at SmashingConf Antwerp 2024, SmashingConf 2024
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