“Punk yet elegant”: Peruse the publication designs of Sibel Beyer

As the saying goes, there’s nothing like a good book, and it seems Sibel Beyer’s publication-heavy practice lives by this motto. Sibel studied at the Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst School in Leipzig, a school with a long tradition of book design and typography, and since graduating she’s found herself working with a wide range of printed matter, including books, zines and posters. What most draws Sibel to such work is its breadth, and “the possibilities of different haptics when designing physical objects”.

While much of Sibel’s work is completed digitally, she always tries to incorporate an analogue element, like scanning, where possible, helping her to constantly uncover new forms of expression. “For me, design means being a visual translator and collaborator,” she says. “I dive deep into the process: a ping-pong between a research-based conceptual approach and an intuitive use of type, colour and composition.” Such an approach leads Sibel to see her practice as one of satisfying contradictions: “My designs are unconventional but classic, punk yet elegant and subtly irritating.”