Biography
Rob Keller, born 1981 in rural Illinois, now lives and works in Berlin. He studied ceramics & graphic design before discovering type design and founding the studio Mota Italic in 2008. After years focused on running that business, he returned to sculpture-making during the pandemic and now splits his time between both practices. His work as an artist is informed by a lifetime of collecting (folk art, natural history specimens, books, tiny curiosities) and by the many places he’s called home.
Artist Statement
I’m drawn to things I can’t have or keep: buildings from paintings, museum objects, antiques too rare or expensive to own. Instead of collecting them, I recreate them, preserving the original idea while allowing it to evolve through my hands & processes. To me, the act of creating is more important than the possession of an authentic original.
My process is slow and additive. I work in layers (cardboard, glue, paint), building up surfaces, then carving them away, smoothing, adding more, carving again… This constant refinement shifts everyday materials into something difficult to identify, yet more polished and solid. Each work is meticulously formed, every side considered, because the quality of craft is essential to me.
American folk art traditions inspire much of my work, but they get twisted by nostalgia and distance. I’m fascinated by how memory reshapes ideas, how place influences identity, and what it means to hold onto objects & images as anchors for belonging. Building sculptures with my hands keeps me grounded in the physical world: they are tangible and unmistakably human. I see this as a total contrast to my parallel work in typeface design: which is digital, technical, and painstakingly precise.
CV
Education
2007 Master of Arts in Typeface Design
University of Reading; Reading, England
2006 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Crafts – (Ceramics)
University of Illinois; Champaign, IL
2003 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design
University of Illinois; Champaign, IL
Professional Experience
2020-Present Mota Italic, Berlin
2014-2020 Mota Italic, Mumbai, India
2010-2013 Ran the Mota Italic Gallery & bookshop, Curated 16 exhibitions, Berlin
2008-2014 Founded the type design studio Mota Italic, Berlin
2007-2008 Font Marketing, Linotype GmbH, Bad Homburg, Germany
Selected Exhibitions
2026 Ausländer, Prachtsaal, Berlin
2025 Pixeltierwetterfahnenwandobjekte (S), Vier Ecken, Berlin
2025 The Wind is Gone (S), 48 Hours Neukölln, Berlin
2024 Home: A Journey of Identity & Belonging, Chromart Art Space, Berlin
2006 Ceramics Invitational, Bradley University, Peoria IL
2006 Graduation Show, University of Illinois, Urbana IL
2005 Alphabet Cityscapes (S), Parson School of Design, New York City
2003 The Future of Graphic Design, i-Space Gallery, Chicago
Selected Honors, Awards, Highlights
University of Illinois College of Fine & Applied Arts Tuition Waiver Scholarship:
2002 Highest award of the 405 applicants in the college;
1999 Highest award for incoming students.
1999 Left Bank Art League Award, Quad Cities Arts High School Show, Moline IL
1998 Merit Award, Augustana College Professional Art Show, Rock Island IL
1998 Left Bank Art League Award, Quad Cities Arts High School Show, Moline IL
1997 Best of Show, Quad Cities Arts High School Show, Moline IL