HENNING WAGENBRETH
Henning Wagenbreth (Berlin, Germany) has always been very inspirational for me. He is a master of creating his own unique and complex world. He never tires of finding new solutions, styles and ideas, and he possesses great knowledge and skills in all kinds of different media.

The Mystery of St. Helena
This project is one of the first books by Henning Wagenbreth I saw, and I was instantly blown away by his ideas, use of composition, color and typography, and his witty, clever storytelling. He used an old French protocol of Napoleon’s exhumation, but Henning changed it to a story where Napoleon actually didn’t die and lives on as a zombie in an underground bunker system. His perspectives, patterns and structures that make his drawings so vibrant are fantastic.

Poster JazzFest Berlin 2006
Henning Wagenbreth is a highly skilled poster designer, and this JazzFest poster is one of many brilliant posters he’s created. I like all the big and small characters and objects in this piece, and there’s a lovely sense of typography that make it a beautiful poster. It’s great fun to look at because there’s so much to explore.

Henning Wagenbreth is inspired by …

SOPHIE DUTERTRE
Sophie Dutertre (Pornic, France) has inspired me since I first saw her woodcuts. All her images have a stunning simplicity, and a deep and lasting expression. She is a master at creating mystery in her images by adding only a few words. It seems to be more important what she does not say. I share Sophie’s admiration of popular art in general and prints — especially of the past centuries. I admire her ability to combine her life and her art in a convincing and honest way.

Page for December
Here, I like the colors and how they overprint. The woodcut structures and the simple screen she produces give the faces a nice light pink accent. Again, her writing is great — it seems simple and banal, but it has many layers of meaning.

Nude Woman
I like the naive scene, how the plants and the birds are treated, and the beauty of the woman.

Sophie Dutertre is inspired by …

PLACID
Placid (Paris, France) has been an inspiration for me since my start. His work with Muzo was instrumental in motivating me to make books. He fills his notebooks with wonderful drawings of everyday modern life, with the typical small details. I like the way he catches the atmosphere of a street scene — the light, the clothes, the ugliness and innocence. His drawings are never despising, although the backgrounds are often exaggerated and distorted. Placid loves pictures and loves what he does. He’s always willing to share his thoughts on art. He’s generous and very curious.

La Manche Boulevard Davout
When I look at this picture of Paris, I can feel the humidity of the air and the smell of the boulevards. Placid really captures the architecture and atmosphere as only he can do.

Style de Vie
I like the attention Placid pays to the urban environment, from the store aisle to the street.

Next Wednesday, a new link to the chain will be featured, along with two additional creatives. (And a big thank you to designer Fred Schaub for creating visualizations of each person in the chain).