Art makes things visible.

What remains when the gaze moves on?

A colour can recall a place. A gesture can create closeness. An unusual crop can change the meaning of an entire picture. What fascinates me about Gustav Klimt’s paintings is how body and ornament guide the eye. I am interested in that moment between what we see and what it triggers in us. That is where art begins for me.

Every era finds its own forms of expression.

Photography, moving images and digital tools open up possibilities different from brush and canvas. What interests me is the question behind them: what can they express? This curiosity gives rise to my free work – and to ideas that live on in the everyday lives of people, brands and places.

An idea that carries decisions.

It starts with listening: what is already there, what is missing, what should be remembered? This leads to the creative direction. It defines which images, typefaces and colours belong together – and provides orientation even when a project spans many formats.

The design evolves in the making.

A sketch can be changed. A first cut can be told differently. I work with these in-between stages until the idea has found its right form. Concept and execution stay close together. For larger productions, I add the experience of other creatives to my work.

The place changes the design.

A record cover is viewed differently from a website, a poster differently from a film. I consider where a work appears, how much time it gets and what it needs to achieve there. Its character remains recognisable; its form adapts to the place where it is seen.

The night starts outside the door.

For Bar Tausend I searched for the moment when a room turns into a night out. The music sets the beat, the light changes the space. That became the visual identity: website, images, films and the screens in the bar. Anyone who sees them is already there in their mind before opening the door.

tausendberlin.com↗

Where hip-hop and house become visible.

With 4PAWS Records I experienced in Berlin how hip-hop meets house. Robosonic brings the voices and energy of hip-hop into new club productions – resulting in record covers and music videos. Along the way, work also emerged around B-Real and Jeru the Damaja.

For Kristina Sheli, record covers and music videos were created over many years – for her productions and for her as a singer.

4pawsrecords.com↗

Two creative minds, one night.

With KCA – Kikis Creative Agency – Kristina Sheli develops events, locations and brand experiences in Berlin and beyond. This led to joint projects in which we work hand in hand: the ideas emerge together, and together we have given launches, events and venues their face – from the key visual and social media to the film that carries the night onwards.

kikis.berlin↗

An idea grows beyond a single medium.

I spent many years at neulandherzer in Berlin, an agency for digital brand communication, learning how far a design idea can go. There I created work for Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo, Mercedes-Benz and Steiff: ideas that had to work on social media, on the web and in motion.

This experience still shapes how I think for big brands: clear in attitude, flexible in form.

Trust can be designed.

For many years I developed websites, logos and practice identities for dental practices in Berlin. Along the way I learned what reassures patients, what questions they have before their first appointment and what advertising law allows medical practices.

A good presence takes away uncertainty before anyone sits in the dentist’s chair – and shows how much care a practice puts into its work.

Spaces still taking shape.

Architecture never let go of me. Now it is coming back: first projects are being planned – visualisations, visual worlds and presentations for building projects that people should be able to see before the first stone is laid.

A first encounter that leads further.

Anyone visiting a website wants to understand what to expect and where to go next. For this I develop a digital presence in which design, content and usability fit together. I plan the structure for people and search engines; it should be equally clear on smartphone and desktop. After launch, I support its maintenance and further development.

A brand gets its own expression.

Before a logo is created, we clarify what a brand stands for and how it wants to be perceived. From this I develop a visual identity. Typography and colour give it character just as much as the way it uses images. I bring these decisions together into a design system that works in everyday use and can evolve across different media.

An image makes atmosphere tangible.

A photograph can convey atmosphere before a single word is read. I develop visual ideas that suit the person, the place or the project, and accompany them from the shoot to the final edit. I keep in mind how the image will be used later and which part of the story it should tell.

An idea takes on a visible form.

What could a scene look like before it is built or filmed? With AI I make such ideas visible as images early on. A first study can become a standalone motif for a cover. For larger projects I develop it into a visual world that can continue across several motifs or film scenes.

Motion gives design a rhythm.

A title can lead the eye into a film. A graphic can build up step by step and make clear how things connect. I develop motion out of the design and tune pace and transitions to where it will be used.

From the shoot to an invented world.

A film can begin with an encounter in front of the camera. In a music video, the rhythm and mood of a song can give rise to a world that didn’t exist before. I develop the concept and accompany the production through to the final cut. Depending on the idea, filmed footage blends with animated or digitally created scenes. For larger productions I put together the right team.

Sound changes what an image tells.

A sound can give an image calm, build tension or carry a movement further. I design this acoustic layer in harmony with the visual concept, developing and editing sound and music so that they carry the character of the work. Edit and sound are thought through together so that both find the same rhythm.

An encounter between art and audience.

For me, an exhibition begins with the question of what should happen between art and audience. From the selection of works I develop a context that preserves their individuality and opens up new connections. The presentation and its accompanying communication grow out of this idea. With ill.berlin I carry this approach into my own art projects.

One discovery leads to the next.

Sometimes it’s a surface, sometimes a face or a strange relationship between body and space. I follow such observations, alter them and see what emerges. Not every work begins with a story. Some only find it along the way.

Possibilities turn into a decision.

AI opens up variations that I select, discard and keep working on. A work develops through composition, interventions, combinations and the decision of when it is finished. With moving works, time, montage and sound come into play. I am interested in what emerges from this process as an independent work.

A work can become part of everyday life.

Selected works are available as signed prints or digital editions. Depending on the motif, format, material and presentation change how an image works. I share details on execution, edition size and availability personally – even if it turns into someone’s first art purchase.

Art is for everyone.

Standing in front of a work, you don’t need to know the right terms first. Curiosity is enough to begin with. ill.berlin aims to bring works, stories and people together: accessible, open and with room for different perspectives. Berlin is the starting point; the art comes from all over the world.

Recognition alone doesn’t create the next work.

We admire the art of past generations. Today’s artists also need time, materials, space and an income. ill.berlin aims to combine visibility with opportunities for sales and collaboration. The goal is for artistic work to be paid, so that new works and projects can emerge.

A beginning that can grow together.

I want to bring artists, art lovers, collectors and potential partners into conversation. Whether a work is discovered, a collaboration is started or an exhibition project is developed: every encounter can set something in motion. ill.berlin grows from these connections.

mail (at) sherdin.art

Digital art in selected editions.

I publish selected works as NFTs, among others on OBJKT on the Tezos network. Each edition comes with its own context and details. If a work interests you, I’ll tell you about its creation, edition size and availability.

A work changes with its space.

I develop curatorial concepts and presentations in which digital and physical works can come together. I think about the selection of works, space and mediation together – from the first idea to the moment the audience enters the room.

Editions, exhibitions and collaborations.

Would you like to learn more about a work or develop an exhibition with me? For enquiries about digital editions and curatorial projects, you can reach me directly at ill.berlin.

mail (at) sherdin.art

What experience leaves in an image.

In 1999 I started with graphic and screen design. Architectural drafting sharpened my eye for space and proportion. It still helps me today when I work out a visual idea and decide how the parts of a design interact. A clear picture of this gives me stability even when a project changes along the way.

A sketch makes a conversation concrete.

As soon as the idea is in front of us, we can see what carries it and where questions remain open. From this, a shared plan develops. During realisation I pay attention to what was strong about the first idea and give it room to evolve with the project.

Tools change. The eye remains.

I create graphics and image editing in Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator and InDesign, films in Final Cut, Premiere Pro and After Effects. I build spaces and objects in Cinema 4D with Redshift, develop AI images with Midjourney and Niji, and sound in Logic Pro. The tool changes with the idea – what remains is the question of what an image should express.