Stanley Donwood is the nom de plume of a popular English graphic designer, artist and writer. He is best known for his association with the British band Radiohead. He designed album cover art and posters for the band since 1994.

Born on October 29, 1968, Donwood was originally named Dan Rickwood and later adopted the pen name. He received his higher education from the University of Exeter. Upon graduation, he went on to work as a freelance artist in Plymouth, England. While studying at Exeter, he had a chance to meet Thom Yorke, the lead vocal artist of Radiohead. Donwood’s first impression of Yorke was that he was ‘mouthy’ and irritated. Yorke found Donwood’s appearance better than his and upon that he based the assumption he would either like him or end up working with him for a long time. Eventually, Donwood was asked to design a cover art for Radiohead’s 1994 single My Iron Lung. Henceforth, began their long-term work relationship. He produced artwork for all the Radiohead’s promotional material, including Yorke’s solo albums.

Stanley Donwood is the nom de plume of English graphic designer, artist, and writer Dan Rickwood, best known for his long-standing creative partnership with the band Radiohead. Since 1994, Donwood has been responsible for the band’s album covers, posters, and visual identity, shaping some of the most recognisable imagery in modern music culture. Born on October 29, 1968, he studied at the University of Exeter, where he first met Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke. Their earliest interactions were marked by mutual scepticism, yet Yorke’s wry observation that he would either dislike Donwood or work with him for a very long time proved prophetic. Donwood’s first project for the band, the artwork for the 1994 single My Iron Lung, initiated a collaboration that has spanned decades. Beyond Radiohead, he has produced artwork for Yorke’s solo albums and built an independent art practice grounded in atmospheric landscapes, narrative-driven imagery, and experimental printmaking.

## About Stanley Donwood

Stanley Donwood’s artistic career began after finishing his studies at Exeter, where he worked as a freelance designer in Plymouth before transitioning into full-time creative work. His early involvement with Radiohead became a defining axis of his practice, but Donwood has continually expanded his output across painting, printmaking, writing, and installation. His alias allowed him to explore a more imaginative, mythic persona within his work, distancing his artistic identity from his everyday self and opening space for experimentation.

Donwood’s artistic world blends anxiety, environmental unease, satire, and bleak humour. Much of his work responds to landscapes, both physical and psychological, often depicting terrains marked by tension, destruction, or quiet foreboding. These motifs reflect his longstanding interest in how built environments and natural spaces intersect with cultural and emotional experience. His collaborations with Thom Yorke extend beyond album packaging into conceptual installations and immersive visual environments, contributing to the band’s distinctive aesthetic.



Stanley Donwood

British

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Artist

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Worthy Forest (Glastonbury 2024)