If you’ve been keeping an eye on the Cape Town creative scene, you’ll know that the last few years have yielded a fresh crop of world-class illustrators whose work is featuring in all the right places. Maybe it’s something in the water - that, or the fact that the numerous creative colleges and collectives have created a fertile spawning ground where illustrators and designers are cross-pollinating, while encouraging each other to up their game. One way or another, the output is impressive - and amongst the highlights of this creative output is one Clement de Bruin, whose work straddles a range of styles but reflects the best of contemporary illustration: it’s clean, it’s classic, and shows influence from the best of many genres. Largely vector-based, his work is, in a word, fantastic. We had the pleasure of shooting a few pesky questions across his bow recently; here are his responses: Who are you? My name is Clement de Bruin but my friends call me ‘Clemi’. Where do you live? Cape Town, South Africa.
Favorite graphic novel? Not really into graphic novels, I just like looking at the artwork in them. Favorite movie? Perfume
What inspires you? My city and the people in it, pop culture, vintage cartoons, band posters and music. The list goes on and on and is always changing. How would you describe your design style? I hate describing my own work. So here is what 10and5.com had to say about my style on a recent feature on my work “His edgy, colourful work is seen executed in a host of styles and mediums depending on the task at hand. Though he enjoys experimenting with subject matter, his playful work is consistently fun to look at.”
Name some of your favourite designers and illustrators.
Jordan Metcalf, Simon Berndt, Kronk, Drew Millward, Studio Muti, Charles Burns, Adam Hill and many more. (all images courtesy Clement de Bruin)
