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Wednesday, Apr 4, 2012 12:00 AM UTC

A designer for all platforms

From quirky postcards to animated music videos, this Swedish visual artist is experimenting across mediums

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Topics: Imprint, Design,

A designer for all platforms Flyer for the music festival Strøm, 2011 (Credit: Casper Heijkenskjöld)
This article originally appeared on Imprint. It's part of Print magazine's annual New Visual Artist series that profiles 20 of the most promising rising talents around the world in the fields of graphic design, advertising, illustration, digital media, photography and animation.

ImprintThere is nothing better than getting paid to do what you love ― except, perhaps, learning it from the person you admire the most. “Since I was about 12, I knew I wanted to draw for a living,” says Casper Heijkenskjöld. His role model was Stefan Sagmeister. So in Heijkenskjöld’s sophomore year of college, he emailed the famed Austrian-born designer’s studio about an internship. He got a personal response from Sagmeister almost immediately ― asking if he could start two years later.

Age: 27
Graphic Designer
From: Malmø, Sweden
Lives in: Copenhagen
Website: www.casperheijkenskjold.com

Despite the delay, a mutual appreciation developed during Heijkenskjöld’s internship. “Even though he is properly grounded in the graphic aspects of design,” Sagmeister says, “Casper feels confident and comfortable in many disciplines, resulting in seriously wonderful live-action and animated video projects as well as small and large sculptural endeavors. He has fabulous ideas and knows how to execute them well, the best thing I can say about any designer.”

Since Heijkenskjöld struck out on his own in 2010, his clients have included musicians, fashion labels and nightclubs. “I got into fashion because I love clothes,” he says, but it was love that kept him there. His girlfriend interned at the quirky Danish label Moonspoon Saloon, and while he was visiting her, he found out that they needed a Christmas card designed. He happily obliged.

Posters for the nightclub Smuts, 2010

"Anthem" music video for Black Rose, 2011

"Ceci n'est pas un plamier," 2011

Heijkenskjöld has also worked on a number of animated music videos, including a collaboration with his brother for a reggae-influenced house track called “Anthem,” by the group Black Rose. The video features a parade of illustrated animals, including an alligator, a crab, and a giraffe. “Because it had a very abstract concept, I chose to illustrate the feeling of the music rather than a concept,” he says. “I wanted to capture the joy I felt when listening to the track.”

Covers for the Finnish record label Top Billin, 2010-2011

Copyright F+W Media Inc. 2012.

Salon is proud to feature content from Imprint, the fastest-growing design community on the web. Brought to you by Print magazine, America’s oldest and most trusted design voice, Imprint features some of the biggest names in the industry covering visual culture from every angle. Imprint advances and expands the design conversation, providing fresh daily content to the community (and now to salon.com!), sparking conversation, competition, criticism, and passion among its members.

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Salon is proud to feature content from Imprint, the fastest-growing design community on the web. Brought to you by Print magazine, America's oldest and most trusted design voice, Imprint features some of the biggest names in the industry covering visual culture from every angle. Imprint

advances and expands the design conversation, providing fresh daily content to the community (and now to salon.com!), sparking conversation, competition, criticism, and passion among its members.

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