Kemp Attwood
Founding Partner & Chief Creative Officer at AREA 17
With a background in design and strategy, Kemp leads with a belief in the power of craft to drive meaningful, measurable impact.
Over nearly two decades, he has helped shape AREA 17’s global creative vision—guiding interdisciplinary teams to deliver transformative outcomes for influential organizations. He began his tenure as a Design Director in the Paris studio before becoming a partner and returning to the US to lead the New York studio. Today, like all partners at AREA 17, Kemp remains hands-on—serving as a trusted advisor to clients and an active collaborator with internal teams. His partnerships span culture, media and technology, with clients including The New York Times, Google, the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Gallery of Canada and Pentagram. His career began in Vancouver at Blast Radius, followed by a role at CBC Radio 3, where his work earned recognition from Communication Arts, the Art Directors Club and the New York Festivals. Kemp holds a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and Literature from York University and a Post-Diploma Certificate in New Media Design from the Bell Center for Creative Communications in Toronto.
