I like to be on the move and only recently relocated to Paris. Before that, I lived in Frankfurt for a while.

I was born in Berlin and grew up there. But Berlin has changed a lot in recent years and it was finally time for me to take the plunge, too! I am very happy in Paris and really like the city’s energy. I love how international it is.

Thank you! That’s a tough question. I guess if I had to sum my aesthetic up in three words, those would be fashionable, mysterious and glamorous.

I actually began learning about illustration when I decided to become an illustrator. I started by posting some work online and shortly after, the first magazines and record labels began to approach me. It was a lot of fun working with them so I decided to keep at it.

I find collages to be the best form of expression for me. I enjoy creating something new out of existing elements. I’ve made work in other media, too – animated film and photography, for example – but collage really is the one that keeps my attention, the one I always return to. I never get bored with it! I'm also very interested in 3D, and would like to make a series of sculptures at some point. But I keep discovering new aspects of collage – and I can’t imagine giving it up anytime soon.

Depending on what I’m working on, I either use Photoshop or work with analogue cut-outs. In the second case, I tend to work a bit faster and it also enables me to work on four or five pieces at the same time – something that can be a little challenging when working digitally.

I happened upon this technique through experimentation. The prints are very large (70 x 100 cm) and printed on very thin paper. I place these in a water bath with acrylic paint and pigments. My goal in this series was to create a fuzzy effect. Collages are usually very clearly cut and I wanted these to be more painterly.

When I work on a series without specifications from a client, I tend to have a clear idea of which kinds of elements I want to use before I start. I don’t think I search for inspiration that much, as it tends to find me! I look at a lot of art, fashion and design, but am also interested in philosophy and the sciences. Ideas just pop up at random moments; sometimes, long after a train of thought has been set into motion by some event or object I’ve witnessed. I don’t have strict rules regarding references but in my collages I do tend to place something ‘solid’ onto a ‘soft’ element a lot of the time.

It’s an endless puzzle game: when I’m developing a theme, I start off by finding books and magazines that fit the topic. Then, I cut out a great number of things – in the beginning, I don’t know which of those I’ll end up using, I just cast a wide net. After that, I begin by compiling a composition. Sometimes I arrive at a solution quickly, others it takes a little longer; it depends on the theme, really. 

I’m often told that collage is a medium anyone can use – and I think that’s true to a certain extent. But making an economical collage out of very few pieces that still has a strong impact can be surprisingly hard.

In big productions like those, there tend to be a lot of people involved – either from an agency or the client side itself. Each job is different. And all of that inspires and forms part of my work, even my personal work that isn’t for a particular client.

Always the last project I’ve worked on.

I do see art and design as two separate practices. Art doesn’t need to please anyone, and if it’s too designed it stops being art.

I’m currently working on a series on borders and boundaries. This is a personal project. Apart from that, there is going to be a poster project in Cologne soon in cooperation with the Museum of Applied Arts there, as well as the Super Fashion Market.