German Designer, Fons Hickmann Featured in our Graphis Journal #363

Graphis Master Fons Hickmann is an exemplary designer who founded the titular studio, Fons Hickmann m23. He has worked with brands such as Doctors Without Borders, and has done editorial and poster work for magazines, catalogs, and theater houses. Hickmann has won countless awards, including Platinum for “Carmen” (above, right), in the Graphis Poster Annual 2015. He is also a member of prestigious industry clubs such as the Art Directors Club, Type Directors Club New York, and Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI).

The approach Hickmann employs in his work varies in each piece, but a certain whimsical nature can be seen across the board, including in his editorial designs above for Albert Magazine.

Hickmann studied photography, art and media theory, and German philosophy – all of these passions are on clear display in his multifaceted portfolio. In his Q&A from our Journal #363, he describes how his interests work in a symbiotic relationship to fuel each other, and how a wide knowledge of different passions can inform and expand artwork.

Hickmann also discussed his attraction to the aesthetic of the ugly. He maintains that design should reflect the world around us, not just the beautiful parts. He argues that if life contains light and shadow, why shouldn’t his design work?

See more of Fons Hickmann’s awarded work, and learn more about his creative process and philosophies in the Graphis Journal #363!

For more inspiration, subscribe to the Graphis Journal and receive issues #360-364 here!