STUDIO CELINE KRIEBS

Chambre Fluide - Céline, How did you find out the creative field was a good path to express yourself? There were (or still are) artists, works, images, people, etc... that helped you to choose this path?
 

Céline Kriebs - Hi there! Well, I grew up on the French-German border, and studied in both countries. Very early on, I became interested in road signs, posters in the streets... as I was looking for signs differentiating France from Germany.

I think that’s what got me interested in type design in the first place before moving on to graphic design. It allowed me to grasp the power of typography in conveying messages.
During my studies, I was lucky enough to meet and be tutored by remarkable graphic designers and type designers (among others: Chloé Tercé, Elamine Maecha, Jérôme Knebusch, Jérôme Saint-Loubert Bié, Thomas Huot-Marchand, Alice Savoie, Émilie Rigaud,...), I think they helped a great deal choosing my path.

 

CF - Where do your works rise from and how do they develop? Where do you take inspiration from?

CK - I have always been open to experimentation and discovery, so I try to approach every new project with the same interest and curiosity. Most of the time, my process starts with a conversation with my clients, and then we make adjustments based on the constraints linked to the commission. The discussions and affinities that I can have with my clients guide the project.
I share my office with other graphic designers, illustrators, landscapers and artists. I believe that this very creative environment tremendously impacts my work, as well as advertisement, fashion (especially for colours) and decoration! I am a big fan of interior design, second-hand objects and furniture, indirectly these environments influence my work: for colours, shapes, organisation of spaces (in a room versus on a page).
In short, like everyone else, I take my inspiration from everything that surrounds me and makes up my daily life!
 

 

CF - Tell us about your project “Archeologie imaginée” and “Catalogue des diplômes 2020”.

 

CK - For both projects, the primary goal was to highlight the work of students and art school graduates. It is
a challenge to succeed in creating a design that is relevant enough to catch the eye of the viewer and at the same time a design that is discreet enough in order to enhance the work of the students. In both projects, I didn’t have an existing visual, so I decided to combine typographic games with graphic shapes for one, and use a visual taken from a workpiece in the exhibition for the other.
“Archéologie imaginée” is a project resulting from the meeting between two archaeologists and two teachers. They invited 3rd year Art school students to develop their own vision around the concept of archeology.
These discussions resulted in the production of two exhibitions (one in June 2019 and the other in October 2019) as well as a book. The visual was created from a photograph presented at the exhibitions. In order to differentiate while associating the two exhibitions, I chose to play on the gradient colours of the visuals and to highlight the periods of exposure: a brighter visual for the summer exhibition, a darker one for the winter exhibition. Declined from posters, the exhibition catalog highlights the notion of transparency and excavation in reference to archeology: thanks to a graphic effect, we can discover the first page through the cover.
The graduate catalog of the ÉSAL (art school in Metz and Épinal, France) presents the work of the graduates of the year 2020 and has been designed as an abundant and lively photo album. The school trusted me for the complete artistic direction of the catalog: I therefore chose to solicit photographers to complete the editorial design with documentary photographs taken during the installation of the diplomas. The goal was to highlight the work of diplomas but also the graduates themselves.
Two layout principles were created: “Out of frame” the photographs flow from page to page and highlight the group. “Framework” refers to the pages presenting the work of individual graduates. Nothing comes off the page, they seem more organised to highlight one graduate at a time. Finally, the green Pantone colour punctuates the entire publication and helps separate the different parts of the content. The sewn binding with visible spine allows the book to open flat, facilitates handling and therefore gave me greater freedom in the layout: thanks to this binding, images take up more space in the layout.
 

 

CF - Why is visual identity important for you? And what role does image play today?
 

CK - Image, and more specifically communication media, are a tool for me. A tool that allows you to reach an audience and get messages across in a different way than speaking. In the age of digital and social networks, image has for me become a universal language, independent of language, culture and education. It arouses an emotion, a reaction. I am sure that a quality visual identity is essential for a brand or a company. It makes a name easier to remember and helps develop its visibility and notoriety while representing its convictions. Graphic shapes and typographic choices help establish a cohesive and memorable brand identity.
They add personality to a project, simplify complex concepts, and make abstract ideas concrete and accessible.