Ken

If you’ve lived in or around Michigan and turned on the TV, got an invite to one of the hottest parties, or ventured into the independent film industry, chances are you’ve gotten a glimpse of Ken Baker Jr.’s magic. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan to creative parents, Ken found his first spark of creativity through art at the young age of 4, before most could wield a paintbrush. While other kids were content just playing with toys, he was thinking about how to use toys to bring stories to life visually. Ken would often make storyboards, evolving into scenes that would capture the imagination and stimulate the eyes of the beholder. By the 4th grade, he picked up the first of many awards to come in an art show. This was the beginning of the journey from novice to master. Ken honed his skills @ MSU where he acquired his BFA in graphic design, learning and fine tuning his knowledge of the anatomy of art, color theory, concept and flow among other fundamentals. In order to expand his skills, he ventured into various media such as photography, drawing, and painting. It is more than a notion to do what this mastermind can do. You have to be more than a designer. This MAC enthusiast can take a thumbnail idea and turn it into an epic reality. Highly acclaimed, he is sought after for his signature touch. Ken’s ability to captivate by taking a great piece of work and make it a masterpiece has affected viewers from East to West coasts. His work has inspired people from all walks of life. Being the ambitious, relentless perfectionist that he is, Ken desired to broaden the bounds of his work. In 2004, he joined his talent with acclaimed writer and director Jay White and Darren Brown respectively, along with producer Dikea Taylor to form Dirty Mitten Films. Together, they achieved what many filmmakers in the biz can only aspire to. They helped put Detroit on the list of cities to watch in the film industry. The group’s second film, Project 313 captivated sold out audiences across the US, including viewers attending the Pan African Film Festival held in Los Angeles, Ca. He didn’t stop there. He and Darren set out to change the face of music videos for local artists. They created several videos for artists such as Derrick Irie, Big Herk, and J-Deago to name a few. Ken sought to expand his passion for art even further by directing. This pursuit would yield his first self-directed short “A Bite out of Crime”. Soon to follow were music videos for Lady Te’s “Hurricane”, and Kori Blake’s “Don’t Stop”. If you question the quality of his work, consult any one of his clients, or tune your television to ABC. There you can see some of the graphic visuals that have earned Mr. Baker a considerable number of one of the most prestigious honors in television, the Telly Award. Even with these distinctions, Ken has managed to keep a humble attitude. After seeing his work you may ask, how’d he do that? Meanwhile, he is thinking of ways to make it better. Constantly challenging himself, he has one major goal; to enthrall you in his work and open your mind to creativity. You can’t put this artist in a box. He has an uncanny ability in graphic design, and many facets to his talent in visual arts. With numerous years of experience and logging countless all niters, Ken is well on his way to reaching new heights in his profession. Ask him if he feels he has achieved mastery, and he’ll say no. You’d never know it looking at the finesse of his work. If you ask this MAC addict why he does what he does, you still won’t get a complex answer. He’ll respond quite simply, “for the love of it”.
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