Legendary Apple Artist Susan Kare Unveils Retro-Inspired Icon Collection
Susan Kare, the iconic artist behind Apple’s early Macintosh designs, has released a new collection of retro-inspired icons. The “Esc Keys” collection, created in collaboration with Asprey Studio, features mechanical keyboard keycaps and wearable pendants adorned with Kare’s signature 8-bit pixel art illustrations.
The collection showcases a range of whimsical designs, including a dog, a plant, mail, and coffee icons. These new creations maintain the recognizable style that made Kare famous during her work on the first Macintosh personal computer operating system, where she designed iconic elements like the “Happy Mac” boot-up icon and the original floppy disk file save symbol.
Kare partnered with Asprey Studio founder Alastair Walker for this project. Each design in the collection carries a “hidden meaning,” representing activities away from keyboards. The pieces are meticulously crafted in silver or gold-coated silver and are available in limited quantities.
The “Esc Keys” collection offers exclusivity, with editions ranging from 30 to 120 pieces per icon. Prices start at $650 for silver keys and reach up to $2,064 for gold vermeil pendants. For those seeking even more luxury, solid gold options are available upon request. Each piece comes with a blockchain-inscribed digital artwork for authentication.
This latest release continues Kare’s tradition of paying homage to Apple’s computing history. She has previously offered prints of original Macintosh designs on her website and, in 2014, sold hand-painted Jolly Roger pirate flags inspired by her 1983 design for Apple.
The “Esc Keys” collection represents a unique blend of nostalgia and modern craftsmanship, allowing tech enthusiasts and art collectors alike to own a piece of computing history reimagined for the present day.
